When my daughter asks me to watch a movie with her, regardless of the theme or genre, my answer is always yes. I know the years of sharing a bowl of popcorn and a blanket with her on the couch are limited. I have been trapped in the past into sitting through some really bad Rom-Coms and at the end of each one, I joke with her and tell her it’s “two hours of my life that I can’t ever get back.” That’s exactly what I thought would happen when she asked me to watch Pitch Perfect.
Watching the trailer, my initial reaction was that this was not a musical (which I love) and it was going to try hard to be a musical (which I will hate for trying and failing), but for quality time with my kid, I was committed. What I found was a fun, energetic pop music ascription medley that had me singing along.
Anna Kendrick flawlessly led the acapella mashup with the Barden Bella’s and intertwined songs from Jessie J’s Price Tag, Simple Minds Don’t You (Forget About Me), Bruno Mars' Just the Way You Are and more. Each song on its own is unique in sound and message, but the Bella’s found a similar line from each song and used it to transition from one to the next. Kendrick, the protagonist, was clearly the most likeable character in the movie, yet all of the Bella’s had their chance to blend their talent into each musical performance.
The metaphorical phrase “never judge a book by its cover” could be applied to this movie. I could say “don’t judge a 1-hour and 52-minute movie by a 2-minute trailer”. Albeit the acting was average at best, but the positioning of generations of pop music into a variety of montages was exceptionally entertaining.
For those that watched the movie, who sang it better – the Barden Bellas or the all-male group, The Treblemakers?
I believe the reason this type of mash-up can be seen as artful is because it is done in a way that tells the story of the group, with the mash-up in the final competition an amalgamation of all that the protagonists have learned and gained. With "Don't You (Forget About Me)" referencing Beca's romance arc, "Just the Way You Are" throwing back to the Bella's coming together, and "Party in the U.S.A." reminding us of their bus ride, the mash-up represents completeness. To answer your question, the Barden Bellas definitely did it better.
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