Dir: Stephen Chbosky
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
Synopsis: An introvert high school freshman finds friends in the form of two senior students who show him how to have fun, fall in love, and the struggles that come with all those things.
Verdict: It has been a while since a film has made me connect with the characters to the point of getting a tear in my eye, but The Perks of Being a Wallflower did that to me.
The first thing to say about this film is that if you are out for escapism, this is far too real for that. It is very true to how life as a teenager is like, even when you take out the series of events that befell the characters before the story begins. When you throw the various things that have happened, especially to Lermans 'Charlie', the film steps up a level.
This is one of those films that, towards the beginning and middle, you begin to guess at what will happen to the characters at the end but Chbosky, as both writer and director of Perks, begins to make you think that what you thought will happen won't and, just as you begin to accept that, he flips it around, and then flips it around again. This technique creates a lot of tension in the final parts of the film.
Part of the films appeal is the connection that is established between character and viewer. Lerman's 'Charlie' is the main focus of the film, and his portrayal of the character is great - the shyness, the introvert, and the obvious psychological aspect to the character is achieved in a very believable way.
Watson, in her second role since the end of the Harry Potter franchise, plays Sam, the object of Charlie's desires. At first, I wasn't convinced by the american accent that she adopts for the film and, by the end, I still wasn't overly convinced. However, when you look at the rest of her performance - from lip-syncing along with The Rocky Horror Picture Show to her relationship with Charlie - you take the slightly dodgy accent with a pinch of salt.
One of the highlights of the film is Miller as Patrick. His performance of a character that has so much comedy, energy and life is fantastic and, while the character does suffer (as do the rest), it is him that brings the group together and gives the film a lot of its comical, and touching, moments.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is both an easy and difficult one to watch, showing - albeit to some extremes - the ups and downs of being a teenager, adjusting to going to high school and leaving for college.
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