Movie Review - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I will be the first to admit, I love movies, especially ones that tell a good story that I can identify with some part of the narrative or one of characters.  Once in a great while you run across a movie that you really connect with on multiple levels and that is something special. For me, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" was one of those films.

I haven't read the book, so I can't comment on how it compares, but, given that the author of the book both wrote the screenplay and directed the movie, I imagine that it's as faithful as an adaption can be.

The basic premise of the story is "alienated teen starts high school and finds their niche".  Most films that start with this premise quickly devolve into comedy with some serious overtones. This movie is a serious drama with well-timed comedic moments.

So why did this movie touch me so deeply?

In many ways, I was the protagonist of this film. While I had my own underlying issues that differ from Charlie, my story was not that different.  I started high school very much alone and was lucky enough to find a group of friends, much like Charlie does.  Friends that, to this day, I can arrange to meet, even after not seeing them for twenty plus years and it's as if there is no gap in time. Friends that I can open up to completely without fear of repercussion.  Friends who will not judge me for past transgressions, but for who I am today.

As someone who had to start over in high school, I can completely relate to Charlie.

 

It doesn't hurt that the group of friends he connects with are not dissimilar to the group of friends I connected with.  Nor does the fact that the movie takes place very close to the time I went to high school (a few years after).  I do question the group's commitment to music if they didn't recognize David Bowie's "Heroes," but that's my own viewer 50% kicking in.

 

The story has a lot of depth, character growth and some undertones that are not happy.  But that's high school.  I won't go into details of the story for a few reasons:

1. Spoilers are bad. 
2. As I said, there is a lot going on in this film, and talking about parts of it I believe would lessen the impact of the movie.
3. From my perspective, character driven dramas, especially good ones, draw the viewer in.  This did this very effectively for me and even revealing details about the characters feels like I'd be ruining the experience.

From a narrative standpoint, the movie unfolds very well.  There are some flashback scenes that normally pull me, as a viewer, out of a movie.  In this movie they were both unobtrusive and critical to the story.

The cinematography on this film is critical.  As much as I love "The Breakfast Club," for what becomes an intimate story, the actual technical filming of the movie felt like it distanced you from the characters.  Not so with "Perks."  The filming of the movie is done in an intimate fashion that makes you feel like you're part of the group and not an outsider looking in.

Where the movie really shines is the acting. As both the writer of the novel and director of the film, clearly Stephen Chbosky had control over who would play these characters who were so close to him.  And he chose well.  Logan Lerman, who plays Charlie was perfectly cast.  He has the acting range to pull off the depths in his character.  Emma Watson, as Sam, shows she can act (sorry Potter fans, but Hermione had very few character moments that stretched Emma Watson as an actress,) and act damn well.  Ezra Miller, who plays Patrick, Sam's stepbrother plays his part to perfection as well.

Though this is a movie focused on teenagers, it would not work without the adults in the film.  Dylan McDermott and Kate Walsh play small but very impactful roles as Charlie's parents and they do it in such a manner that I never doubted either their characters or their actions in any way.  Paul Rudd is his usual charming self in a pivotal role as a teacher at the high school.

I have to assume that much of the acting props really have to go to Stephen Chobsky.  This is his work of love and he has the talent as a director to make this come to life in the way he wanted.

Finally, I have to give a shout out to the music.  

As I mentioned, I went to high school a few years before this movie came out and music was a big part of my life.  The soundtrack to this movie is, in many ways, the soundtrack to my high school years and was just another level on which I connected to this film.

Not only was I entertained by "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," it's a movie I can and will re-watch many times.