Pitch Perfect (2012) - Genuinely funny crowd-pleaser

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A group of young women wearing sunglasses while posing makes up this poster for Jason Moore's Pitch Perfect

Beca begins college but has to pull tight to fit into life there, which for her becomes through the companionship found in a cappella group The Bellas, which - along with the campus' male group the Treblemakers, - compete for national victory!

 

Pitch Perfect is written by Kay Cannon (Let It Snow (2019)), based on Michael Rapkin's same-titled 2008 book, and directed by great debuting Arkansan filmmaker Jason Moore (Tales of the City (2021)).

The film is a party that arrives as a cinematic answer to television's seemingly endless, highly popular talent shows of the post-millennial era - as well as TV series sensation Glee (2009-15). Anna Kendrick's (Noelle (2019)) charm and natural sweetness is a major plus, and Pitch Perfect also becomes a springboard for funny, unembarrassed Rebel Wilson (The Hustle (2019)), sweet Skylar Astin (Ghosts of War (2020)) and foolish Adam Devine (Jexi (2019)). - And Elizabeth Banks (Charlie's Angels (2019)), who also co-produced, and John Michael Higgins (Licorice Pizza (2021)) are a welcome - and often hilarious - element as ex a cappella performers who are now a cappella contest commentators. 

Pitch Perfect is not perfect in any way, - but it sparkles with energy and is both funny, romantic and fresh. It is among the most delightful favorites of 2012.

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 17 mil. $

Box office: 115.6 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 6.8 times its cost)

[Pitch Perfect opened 28 September (North America) and runs 112 minutes. Wilson was paid 65k $ for her performance in the film. Shooting took place around October 2011 in Louisiana. The film opened #6 to a 5.1 mil. $ weekend in North America, spending the next weekend at #3, its only in the top 5, grossing 65 mil. $ (56.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Australia with 13 mil. $ (11.2 %) and Germany with 10.1 mil. $ (8.7 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, translating to 3 notches under this one. Two sequels followed, Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) and Pitch Perfect 3 (2017). Moore returned with Trophy Wives (2013-14) and theatrically with Sisters (2015). Kendrick returned in Drinking Buddies (2013). Pitch Perfect is certified fresh at 82 % with a 6.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Pitch Perfect?

50/50 (2011) or, Dude's Got the Big C

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A poster for Jonathan Levine's 50/50, featuring a still from the film's one-take head-shaving scene

A young man is diagnosed with spinal cancer and prepares to die. The chemo is tough, the girlfriend cheats, his best friend is infantile, his mother fusses over him, and his shrink is an amateur. But a sweet amateur. - Will he kick it?

After it's over, 50/50 feels like it should have been something more, but it does accomplish a realistic feel. Screenwriter Will Reiser (Brooklyn Castle (announced)) wrote it based on personal experiences with the subject matter, himself having survived cancer. Ironically, Seth Rogen (Neighbors (2014)), who plays the Reiser-based protagonist's best friend, (who was also Rogen in Reiser's own real-life experience), just works better in more straight comedies, I find, but both Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Manic (2001)) and Angelica Huston (Seraphim Falls (2006)) as the fussy mother are good here.
But 50/50 does become touching, and it has an especially fine hospital scene. Considering its pedigree, it is a hard little movie directed by Jonathan Levine (The Night Before (2015)).

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 8 mil. $
Box office: 41.1 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 5.13 times the cost)
[50/50 premiered 12 September (Toronto International Film Festival, Ontario) and runs 100 minutes. James McAvoy was supposed to play the protagonist but bowed out due to his becoming a father at the time of shooting. Filming took place in Washington and British Columbia, Canada from February - March 2010. The film opened #5, behind Dolphin Tale, Moneyball, The Lion King (re-release) and Courageous, to an 8.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed #5 for a second week before leaving the top 5, grossing 35 mil. $ (85.2 % of the total gross). Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 2.3 mil. $ (5.6 %) and South Korea with 0.8 mil. $ (1.9 %). The film was nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Levine returned with Warm Bodies (2013). Gordon-Levitt returned in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Rogen in For a Good Time, Call... (2012), Anna Kendrick (Elsewhere (2009)) in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011). 50/50 is certified fresh at 94 % with a 7.7 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of 50/50?