Perks of Being a Wallflower Review
I know this review is a tad late considering the film came out last Autumn, but now its out on DVD I managed to see it again. I usually find these kind of high school drama/comedy films pretty dull and unrepresentative and just overly sweet, The Perks of Being a Wallflower manages to escape this fate however.
The film is based on the popular novel of the same name, and essentially does follow the same formula we've see a thousand times. The main character Charlie is the socially awkward main character who then makes friends with some older kids who expose him to a more exciting world. The film doesn't hide the fact that its aiming at the Charlie's of the real world, the social underdogs who have a taste in 'alternative' music, watch films and read about art. The film however manages to stay away from the overly used indie kid formula though, and gives these teenagers hearts and personalities, more so than your usual teen angst flick. I found some of the characters in the film to be brilliant, such as the absolutely amazing Ezra Miller, who plays a campy character a million miles away from his performance as the school killer in We Need To Talk About Kevin. His character Patrick, as well as the quiet but affecting Charlie are the two best performances of the film. While Emma Watson tries her best to act like a social misfit, she doesn't manage to quite convince, she does however have a pretty solid American accent and manages to at least have a heart.
As well as the performances I must talk about the soundtrack, the music in this film is in my opinion an awesome representation of the kinds of songs that these kids would listen to. It includes The Smiths, Sonic Youth, Dexy's Midnight Runners and the astounding Heroes by David Bowie which provides the soundtrack to the films best scene involving an old truck and a tunnel. The soundtrack moves the film up a notch from being a solid teen movie to an above average teen movie, the songs make you feel how the characters are meant to feel. The camera work in the film is fine, with not too many experimental shots going on, and little variation on the format. There is however a shiny, somewhat 70's filter on the lens which makes everything look like it was shot 30 years ago, this adds to the vintage atmosphere of the film, along with the old fashioned music and typewriters, and helps to make the film seem real and full of soul and energy.
While there is a minor plot twist at the end, the plot stays relatively bog standard throughout, although there are some tear jerking moments for sure, and some scenes that make you want to get up and dance. To finish this up, the film is a great watch for anyone that feels disenfranchised, anyone who feels that they are maybe not as 'cool' as the other kids in school, or anyone that is into old music, old films, and indie culture. It manages to stay away from typical indie pretentiousness and in the end proves that it does have a heart.
8/10
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