Movie Review: Camp
A huge casting call went out for teens to star in a Fame/American Idol style film. The director of Camp wanted only unknowns! Hundreds showed up. A few lucky finalists got a chance to launch musical/acting/dancing careers. The director, along with Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and an 8-year-old Robert Downey Jr., was once a camper at a music camp as a teen and he wanted to portray a real experience so he hired kids who are real; no anorexic models or perfect guys here. You know these kids or they are you!
Arriving for the summer at Camp Ovation are newbie Vlad (Daniel Letterle), a hot-looking player who wastes no time in seducing several female campers -- including sweet but insecure Ellen (Joanna Chilcoat), her bunkmate Dee (Sasha Allen) and the conniving seductress Jill (Alana Allen) -- while managing to find a little time to flirt with sensitive Michael (Robin De Jesus), who still bears the physical and emotional bruises of being beaten up when he attended his high school prom in drag.
Some summer music camps might mount one major production at the end of each month but Camp Ovation puts the kids through the rigorous task of putting on a new show every two weeks, complete with costumes, sets and a resident house band. Everyone feels over challenged. The guest director arrives and he's cynical, hard-drinking Bert Hanley (musician Don Dixon), who had a hit show on Broadway a decade ago but hasn't been able to finish anything since. Who will end up with who? Will being with the talented kids get Bert creating again? Will Vlad learn to stop being a user? Will Ellen and Michael get some self esteem? We'd love evil Jill to get brought down. Hopefully, everybody will be a star.
It doesn't matter if you are a drama queen or king or somebody who loves musical theater, you can identify with a bunch of misfits who learn to shine! This movie was made with a tiny budget in 23 days! That includes all the really fun musical numbers; some from famous Broadway shows, others, original. That takes a lot of enthusiasm on the part of cast and crew.
The actors in the film have real faces and bodies; you've seen them in class or..you are them. When they perform, they transform into glowing balls of pure talent and they are a blast to watch. The acting in non-musical scenes isn't bad either even though some of the relationships aren't fully developed or you feel like you've seen a lot of similar problems explored on t.v. dramas. We're not sure who to focus on since each character's ordeal at camp is explored kind of haphazardly. You'll recognize a lot of "types"; the popular bitch, the girl who worships her, the cute, popular guy, the loser, acne-scarred gay guy, the sweet, good girl who can't get a date, etc. and you'll be happy to learn that nobody gets a make-over.. except maybe one of spirit!
Camp, like life, isn't perfect but it's certainly entertaining. Check it out!
For raw talent and real people actors, 3.5 out of 5 stars!
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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.
