Victoria Jelinek

Beca (Anna Kendrick) is cajoled into joining a female acapella singing group when she arrives for her first year at Barden University. Despite her initial scepticism about the troupe, Beca finds herself invested and wants to help them break their losing streak.

I’m not into musicals, and never got the attraction to the hit TV program Glee, but I love this film. Sure, there’s singing, but the choices are slick and the soundtrack, combined with the story’s milieu and simple plot, remind me of the John Hughes and Cameron Crowe films I grew up on and adored. The acting is as an ensemble, with characters that are astutely observed and well-written. The script is clever, and a catty wit abounds (thank goodness in these days of political correctness). Arguably, the film swerves from one daffy set-up to the next, but the characters and cast keep it anchored, it never loses sight of its story, and it’s really funny.