The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

On the
surface, Pitch Perfect draws a
dangerously close comparison to the popular and overwrought TV musical, Glee. But underneath its somewhat
trivial façade, this surprisingly feel-good musical offers just a little bit
more than its frivolous forerunner.

Pitch Perfect is centred on Beca
(Kendrick); a reluctant college freshman who prefers to spend her time hiding
behind a laptop, mashing up tunes as a wannabe DJ and record producer. 
Unenthusiastic, but willing to give the whole ‘college experience’ a try, she
signs up for an internship at the campus radio station – hoping to at least get
a head-start on her aspiring career.

Before long, she comes across the Bellas; an all-female a cappella group that
she quickly gets sweet-talked into joining.  Unfortunately, the group’s
dated repertoire indulges in archaic tunes such as Ace of Base’s ‘The Sign’
and Beca thinks that they don’t stand a chance of winning an upcoming
competition, let alone beat the Bellas brutal rivals: all-boy a cappella group,
the Treblemakers.

The group’s uncompromising, headstrong leader, Aubrey (Camp), runs a tight
ship and isn’t so open to Beca’s attempts at injecting some much-needed zest
into their outdated groove.  However, with the upcoming a cappella
competition just around the corner, the Bellas need to get themselves
whipped into shape, fast.  While Beca’s efforts continue to be
shot-down, her growing romance with Treblemakers member, Jesse (Astin), proves
tricky and at risk of breaking Bellas cardinal rule.    
 
Taking inspiration from Mickey Rapkin’s non-fiction book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory, director
Jason Moore, along with the penning support of Kay Cannon, creates an effortless
and an unexpectedly entertaining musical experience. Yes, its all-singing-all–dancing premise doesn’t win scores on originality and the outcome is
predictable, but the ride to the very end holds plenty of entertainment.

The surprisingly smart take on potentially clichéd material is refreshing and
the meaty themes invested into the characters are what make it work.  It’s
clear that everyone is having a good time and the infectious music, including a
wonderful riff-off and a thrilling climactic mega mash-up, proves
it.  

Pitch Perfect‘s brilliant cast meshes
well and everyone has a hand in making it what it is, but in the end, it’s all
about Kendrick and Wilson. Kendrick shines as the lead in the role of Beca and shows that she’s full of sass. In
the role of the self-proclaimed Fat Amy, Wilson takes comedy to another level –
the rising Aussie star shows major potential and is definitely one to watch out
for in the future.

Far from
perfect, Pitch Perfect’s modest and upbeat
qualities end up hitting just the right notes.