Written by Cassandra Singh.
Cinema loves an insecure, lonely, troubled teenager. Charlie (Logan Lermen) is a 15-year old freshman dealing with the death of a best friend as well as his mental illness. He sees a glimmer of hope when he is befriended by two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller).
Stephen Chbosky has written and directed this adaptation of his own novel. He’s made a good film that tells an emotional story without resorting to cheesy, over-the-top theatrics. Charlie is a likeable character that audiences can relate to. The shyness, awkwardness and insecurities that he experiences is something many can relate to. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower takes its time revealing his story – and that’s a bit of a problem. The first half doesn’t seem to have anything interesting or special to show or say. It’s all very familiar. A kid gets bullied and wishes he was part of the cool group. We’ve seen it many times. The second half really grabs your attention as Charlie’s issues are explored further and we begin to understand more about his new friends.
The young cast all deliver great performances. Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin) is likeable and charming and Emma Watson does a good job as Charlie’s love interest. A couple more roles like this for her and audiences will begin to see her as someone other than Hermione. Logan Lermen should have big things on the horizon after his impressive performance here. He is very good as Charlie and manages to say a lot without saying much.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a decent movie that knows its target audience. Crowds have embraced this indie flick and its easy to see why. Whilst it isn’t anything amazing, it’s a funny, sad and sweet little drama that will resonate with teenagers and those that remember that period all too well.
THE REEL SCORE: 7/10
– C.S.
