Camp
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Movie Reviews of Camp
Movie Review: "camp" gets a standing ovation!!
Summary: 5 Stars
i just pushed the "eject" button on my dvd player, and immeadiatly found myself loggging onto amazon to buy this amazing dvd! the plot is interesting, the characters loveable, and the musical numbers will blow you away. in this feel good movie, a bunch of kids from different backgrounds spend a summer together at an elitist theatre camp, "camp ovation" (based on stagedoor manor). the plot unfolds as personalities clash, crushes are formed, and friendships are made. as someone who is a lot like these kids (im 14 years old and have been involved in theatre for my entire life), this movie shines a very good light on the type of people involved. these are not mainstream teenagers, but they still project an air of normalcy that helps you relate to them throughout the movie. everyone will see a bit of themselves in jenna (i may have her name wrong), a girl of normal weight who is constantly brought down by a pushy, inconsiderate father who insists that she needs to lose a couple of pounds. her solo number, "heres where i stand", brought me to tears, as i also have dealt with weight issues in the past.
ellen is also a character that teenage girls will relate to. ellen is an outspoken, plain looking drama buff who falls for the camp stud (and only straight guy), vlad. her story is very real, and makes us realize that we all need to be loved.
another of my favorite characters was michael, a gay teen who deals with many issues, heavy and light, ranging from homophobia and his dwindling relationship with his parents to acne and his crush on vlad, who is unfortunately not same sex oriented. a self described "freak", michael is funny yet deep, and those who have not been exposed to different sexual orientations will be surprised at how normal michaels problems are.
jill is the token "mean girl". the actress cast as jill plays the villan so well. by the end of the movie, you will hate her. her arrogant nature and mean spirited schemes add to the movies plot.
my favorite character, however, was fritzie. fritzie, described by one of the camp counselors as "a scary little girl", begins her stay at camp ovation by befriending the aforementioned villan, jill. fritzie suddenly finds herself doing everything she possibly can for jill, including toting her luggage, serving her drinks, and even washing her underwear. when her relationship with jill falls through, fritzie finds herself on a quest to make jills life a living hell, and delightfully succeeds. i found myself laughing (in a good way) at her drive, and her performance of sondheims "ladies who lunch" is electric.
the musical numbers are amazing and varied, from the upbeat and peppy "turkey lurkey" to the sob inducing "heres where i stand" to the sing along "century plant".
the characters are very believable, but i was dissapointed with the male lead, vlad. i felt his performace was weak, and i dont think he didnt really understood who his character is. although he was good looking, i think his part couldve been cast a bit better.
i highly reccommend this movie to everyone involved in musical theatre, and even those who arent. i give a standing ovation to the cast of "camp"! well done!
Movie Review: "Campy Fun"!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is fantastic!!!! Based on a real place in Upstate New York, "Camp" tells the story of one summer in the lives of some VERY gifted teens. What these kids can do is remarkable.
The 2 main characters in the movie are Vlad and Ellen. Vlad is the "new kid on the block", being new to the camp. Ellen is a seasoned camper, who has many friends among the other campers. Their interactions are at times hysterical.
More important than endless plot summary, is the actors themselves. As "Vlad", Daniel Letterle, is great. At the start of the movie, "Vlad's" sexual orientation is unknown, causing friends "Ellen" and "Michael" to have a friendly "bet" about who "Vlad" will end up with. Eventually, this gets resolved and a couple is formed.
"Ellen" is played by Johanna Chilcoat. WOW!!!! What a voice!!! All of her tender acting, and the self-doubt of her character is immediately vanished as soon as she belts out "And I am Telling You" from "Dreamgirls". It's a short scene, but has a huge impact.
Robin De Jesus plays "Michael", the VERY out gay boy dealing with recent trauma. Essentially a theater actor, Robin is fantastic as "Michael". He shows the mental affects of being a gay teen. The flashback scene is traumatic, just to watch.
There are 2 other actresses that require mention. Anna Kendrick, is a 2010 Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actress. She is awesome as " Fritzie", a timid-acting nerdy girl with big theater aspirations. Those of you who have seen "All About Eve", will find "Fritzie" familiar. The difference is Bette Davis was an adult, Anna is a teenager. She is going to be huge, in part because she is in the George Clooney movie "Up in the Air". It's great that she is now being recognized.
Now its time for Tiffany Taylor. As, Jenna, she is the shinning star, at least vocally, of "Camp". She is at camp with her jaw wired because her overbearing father has some screwy definition of "fat". She mumbles through 99% of the movie. At the end, however, she sings "Here's Where I Stand," a Gospel triumph, to her father, as well as to everyone else. WOW! WOW! WOW!!! This is worth seeing, if nothing else.
The adults in this film are all secondary, except for Don Dixon, as Bert Hanley, a once-great musical composer, now a boozing loser. His interactions with the campers, and his scene with theater-legend Stephen Sondheim are perfectly acted.
This movie is one that most will wanna watch over and over. The acting is good, but it's the performances that make this movie so enjoyable.
Movie Review: A Special Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
When a movie has names like Oscar-winning composer Michael Gore (Fame), Tony Award-winning lyricist Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime), Choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray), Musical supervisor Tim Weil (Rent), and the granddaddy of them all, Über-producer Steven Sondheim associated with it-well, you know it must be something special. All these "big names" of the musical world practically donated their time and talent to writer/director Todd Graff's labor of love, Camp. The results turn out to be a modern, gayer version of "Fame". (Yes, apparently, Fame could get gayer.)The story follows the campers as they spend their summer at Camp Ovation, a performing arts camp based on Graff's real-life childhood experiences at just such a camp. There's plenty of drama (and not just on the stage), and the kids are learning more about themselves than performing. Michael, who is openly gay and the recent victim of a gay-bashing, is struggling with his family's rejection and self-image. Ellen has such low-self esteem that she begs her brother to take her to prom. Dee is terrified of being a fag-hag for the rest of her life. Fritz is so obsessed with being friends with Jill (the popular girl) that she is losing her own identity. Even the seemingly perfect Vlad, the boy no one can believe is really straight, has his own demons to fight.
The story and writing is strong, the characterizations are even stronger. Each of the kids at the heart of the story is amazingly well-developed. I would have loved to have seen more development with some of the secondary characters, but you can only do so much in 114 minutes. The most impressive part of the whole movie is the kids themselves though. They're not all the best actors in the world, although they all portray their characters quite convincingly. Not a single one of them had ever been in a movie before Camp. What's so impressive is their musical talent. These kids have pipes! I'm sure we haven't seen the last of this cast.
One of the ways I judge a movie is how it affects me emotionally. Camp hit me hard on several levels. I found myself laughing out loud quite often. (My favorite line is when Spitzer turns to Jill after a particularly bitchy moment and says, "I think I know your step-sister. Cinderella?") I was moved to tears almost as often. This movie quickly took its place among my all-time favorite movies. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: The camp in all of us
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm starting to believe that movies are made on a single scene that reaches into you and grabs you. If you find that scene, then the entire movie works for you. Such is true about the wonderfully charming movie, "Camp". The scene for this movie is early on, in the school bus that's transporting the various drama wannabees to Camp Ovation for the summer. The kdis are singing a dramatic, compelling showstopper song as we pan down the center aisle of the bus. The camera stops on a young blond boy singing his heart out, sitting next to a man, who turns to the boy and says, "Bud Miller: Sports Counselor". The boy looks at the man incredulously and says, "We have a SPORTS COUNSELOR?".
Thus, this movie is made. Camp is a deliriously delightful romp with a bunch of multi-talents kids all spending their summer learning about the craft of acting, and the craft of life. Expected to perform a new show every two weeks, with a benefit at the end of the season seems ludicrous, but the kids pull it off, with great success.
This film has many hearts to it, mainly in the characters of Ellen, Vlad, and Michael. As they interact with each other, each character avoids the strereotypical traps many teenager films fall into, and lets these characters live and breathe. There's not a candy coated kids in this film, and thanks to an excellent script, and equally excellent acting from the kids, it all becomes believable.
The music is an intergral part to this movie, and somehow both propels the plot and supports it. I bought the CD the day after seeing the movie, and it still hasn't left my small collection of CDs I carry with me. I near tire of hearing some of the wonderful songs from the movie, including "Century Plant" and "How Shall I See You Through My Tears".
My boyfriend regularly puts me in his book reviews, so now I'll do the same. We both saw this movie together, twice, in a small theater just off Dupont Circle in Washington DC. I now cannot watch this impressive film without thinking of him. Camp is a film that ultimately celebrates the diversity that life brings, and how our diversity is truly our strength.
Movie Review: Great Fun, Super-Talented Teens and Outstanding Songs
Summary: 5 Stars
I understand why some reviewers of this winning movie find it a little angsty and melodramatic - because it is. But for those who remember adolescence, everything is angsty and melodramatic - it's a time of operatic emotions and overblown reactions. It's a time when you think that no one has ever loved as you have, when tripping over your feet in the lunchroom is an embarrassment that surpasses that being arrested for prostitution, and a single zit on your forehead makes you want to take to bed for a week.
In Camp, Todd Graff captures those emotions perfectly. The actor are up to the task, with Robin de Jesus giving an Oscar-worthy performance as the drag-loving Michael. I'm serious. Compare his gutsy, accomplished performance with the tentative underacting of Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game, and I think you'll agree that it was de Jesus who should have walking the red carpet with his acceptance speech folded in the pocket of his tuxedo - or his evening gown.
But all the kids are terrific performers. So much talent! Why aren't these young people on American Idol?
Camp takes place in a special summer camp where it's the straight boys who are in the minority - much like the drama club of my high school back in the 80's. The songs are great, and by the closing number - the joyfully performed "For the Want of Nail," you'll be on your feet and filling out the application for next year's camp season.
Scott Sherman, author, First You Fall: A Kevin Connor Mystery