Rating of
4/4
Review: Perks of Being a Wallflower
MikePA - wrote on 09/23/12
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an exceptional coming-of-age high school drama, written and directed by the author of the book, Stephen Chbosky. Because of that, I don't think fans of the novel will be complaining, "they left this out!" "that part wasn't in it!" It's a great movie, and it's well put together by the first time director.
The film begins solid, then transcends into a terrific drama that digs its way into the deep grounds by the end. It gets dark, dramatic, and emotional, and it's all handled very well. Much of the reason why the emotion works and dramatic moments are so damn effective is because of the large amount of depth Chbosky puts into his characters, notably Charlie (played by Logan Lerman). I loved these characters. I connected with them and rooted for them.
The actors live and breathe in these characters. Logan Lerman's performance as the main character, Charlie, who begins as an outsider in high school, is incredibly strong. He's so good in it. Emma Watson, coming out of the Harry Potter series in her first lead female role, is also very good as Sam. Her American accent is pretty good, too, by the way. The star here in terms of comedy is Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin) who plays the hell out of his character, Patrick. Sam and Patrick are the two seniors who invite Charlie into their group. Charlie is faced with a lot of difficulties, and when we see the darker and edgier side of things, we feel sympathy for Charlie.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the year's best films. It's heavy with drama and emotion, but it also has a lot of funny and charming moments that is balanced well. Bolstered by great performances, an excellent script, and a pretty awesome soundtrack, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a soulful character-driven movie that comes from the heart. A must-see.
4/4
Recent Comments
Chris Kavan - wrote on 09/24/12 at 12:48 PM CT
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review comment
This is being touted by many as the best teen drama to come out in many years. I, for one, was sold on the cast but knowing that a film actually may meet the expectations I hope for - I'll definitely watch this now.
