Going in I wasn't sure about Camp - a musical comedy about a performing arts summer camp - but I am happy to admit that this is an easily enjoyable and funny film.
It is shot in a sort of mockumentary way - not in the direct to camera awareness of Best In Show or father of the genre This Is Spinal Tap but with an intimacy with the characters that makes you believe these are real people and not actors.
Part of writer/director Graff's (known best to me as the guy with the rat from The Abyss) genius in this is casting completely unknowns who have never been on film before. Each brings a freshness and enthusiasm to the role adds to the 'realism'. Even those who don't seem to be particularly good actors work because at this sort of camp there would presumably by those people who are less talented but convinced of their own abilities. This may even be a deliberate portrayal of this type of person, in which case their acting is even more impressive.
While all the young cast are superb singers it is the vindictive Fritzi (Anna Kendrick) that impresses most from the support cast. She is not only an excellent singer but has a glorious ability to play black humour that should see her continue to work solidly, if largely in supporting roles. If she doesn't end up as the sort of caustic supporting character on a sitcom that Megan Mullally plays in Will & Grace I'll be very surprised.
The three leads also do well. Robin de Jesus seems to be having a wail of a time as Michael - a misunderstood transvestite teen - while Daniel Letterie does well in the least flashy role. Best of the lot though is Joanna Chilcoat. She's a keeper, believe me.
Don Dixon as washed up one-hit wonder broadway director Bert Hanley gets all best moments and lines - one bit when he tells Fritzi he's been watching her is brilliantly delivered. I did not recognise Dixon but this film should bag him a lot more work in ensemble comedies and other films. I look forward to seeing him in other things.
Overall Camp is witty and amusing. It is undeniably slight and is unlikely to stay with you long after you've seen it unless you have a more first hand experience of this sort of world which I do not, but as a piece of entertainment it works and is well worth trying to see.
It is shot in a sort of mockumentary way - not in the direct to camera awareness of Best In Show or father of the genre This Is Spinal Tap but with an intimacy with the characters that makes you believe these are real people and not actors.
Part of writer/director Graff's (known best to me as the guy with the rat from The Abyss) genius in this is casting completely unknowns who have never been on film before. Each brings a freshness and enthusiasm to the role adds to the 'realism'. Even those who don't seem to be particularly good actors work because at this sort of camp there would presumably by those people who are less talented but convinced of their own abilities. This may even be a deliberate portrayal of this type of person, in which case their acting is even more impressive.
While all the young cast are superb singers it is the vindictive Fritzi (Anna Kendrick) that impresses most from the support cast. She is not only an excellent singer but has a glorious ability to play black humour that should see her continue to work solidly, if largely in supporting roles. If she doesn't end up as the sort of caustic supporting character on a sitcom that Megan Mullally plays in Will & Grace I'll be very surprised.
The three leads also do well. Robin de Jesus seems to be having a wail of a time as Michael - a misunderstood transvestite teen - while Daniel Letterie does well in the least flashy role. Best of the lot though is Joanna Chilcoat. She's a keeper, believe me.
Don Dixon as washed up one-hit wonder broadway director Bert Hanley gets all best moments and lines - one bit when he tells Fritzi he's been watching her is brilliantly delivered. I did not recognise Dixon but this film should bag him a lot more work in ensemble comedies and other films. I look forward to seeing him in other things.
Overall Camp is witty and amusing. It is undeniably slight and is unlikely to stay with you long after you've seen it unless you have a more first hand experience of this sort of world which I do not, but as a piece of entertainment it works and is well worth trying to see.