PITCH PERFECT 3
US, 2017, 93 minutes, Colour.
Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Ruby Rose, Anna Camp, John Lithgow, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins.
Directed by Trish Sie.
Given the amount of singing in this film, both a cappella and with instrument accompaniment, the pitch of the now, very well-known group, the Bella’s, is still very effective.
However, the use of the word “perfect� in the title is quite an overstatement!
This is one for the fans only. It presupposes audience liking the central characters, especially Beca and Fat Amy, Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson; it presupposes audience knowledge of the ups and downs of the group, the different personalities, their interactions, their failures and successes in the past in competitions, their being on a high at the end of the sequel. They have a strong desire to join up again, especially since Beca has given up her job as a music producer, in frustration with the antics of the talent. Everybody finds themselves available – and the venue for this third film in the series is Europe, Spain, Italy and France, the girls participating in a USO concert tour.
The first part of the film could be very wearing for some audiences. The whole film is very female-oriented in its tone, very “girly� in its characters, behaviour and their appeal. There are some token males throughout the film, generally friendly, and Navy man accompanying the group, a record producer…
The film does start with a huge explosion on a yacht in the Mediterranean and Beca and Amy leaping off. Then it goes into flashback. Halfway through the film, a new character is introduced, Fat Amy’s father, who calls her by her real name, Patricia. Since Patricia is Australian, then her father, played by John Lithgow, has to have an Australian accent – or, at least, caricature of one. He has deserted his family in the past, is clearly hypocritical in seeking out his daughter and has dire intentions! This gives a bit of conflict drama to the screenplay – over and above the Bellas trying to compete with another talented group.
The screenplay seems to admit that this will be the last of the Pitch Perfect films for a while (anyone for Pitch Perfect: The Reunion in 10 years time!). The dialogue makes it quite clear that each of the Bellas has different intentions for the future, family, study, business…
This third film is rather forgettable, certainly not perfect. However, it must be said that Beca, Fat Amy and the other Bellas have provided a lot of entertainment to audiences in recent years.
