Directed by: Stephen Chbosky
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Erza Miller
Run time: 103 min
We accept the love we think we deserve.
Teen movies. Adults view it as something nostalgic from their teen years. Most just circling around the cliches and stereotypes and it is not bad if presented right. Some try to cut deep to what does it feel to be a teenager where problems are more than just on how to be popular and date the hot guy/girl in the class.
The Perks of being a Wallflower is the latter. It is not your typical teen movie with typical stereotypes that can make you cringe since it does not feel real at all, but the one that can make you think and introspect on your youth. Directed by the book writer himself, I think the film has some hit and miss.
It missed to mention the time setting of the film which can make people confused on why the main character is typing on a typewriter and why do people do not seem to concentrate on their gadgets. It happened in 1991-1992, according to the book, thus it justify the 90s soundtrack all over the movie. It also miss on using cinematography as a medium of story telling, although the flat cinematography is actually fine for this kind of film.
But it hits all the chords of coming of age angst like fear of being unaccepted, first love, family problems, guilt, sorrow and how to face it all with the help of your best friend.
It tells about an introverted high school student Charlie (Logan Lerman), who is naive and socially awkward. He enters high school fresh from recent suicide of his best friend. He has no friends and from his inner monologue he guided us through the film. Struggling to find friends he is encouraged by his literature teacher and his new two friends Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), who welcome him to the real world.
Charlie find refuge in writing and as a writer myself I can understand that writing can help people to get through so many randomness on their life. As a writer he listens and understand what is going on around him.
Story of misfit trying to put their feet on the ground is always interesting to tell. In fact most of teen movies are about that and I wonder if the directors and screenwriters are previously a social misfit during their teen years thus they channel their nostalgia through movies.
Sure, anyone can argue that their teen experience is different than most movies but such fears and problems is the one that is rarely addressed in movies, especially American movies.
Lucky for this one, it doesn't fall to become ultra emo or too preachy (or even trying to be too sensitive), it present things as it is. Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller are amazing, especially Ezra who is quite scary in We Need to Talk about Kevin.
The other good aspect of this film is the soundtrack, from Come on Eileen to Heroes from David Bowie which remind me of my own teen years since those songs are the one that was once hits when I was in high school.
Overall, Perks is a good movie and a rare one. I think other filmmakers who wanted to make a film about teen should watch it so they know that there is more to teen life than just shallow pursuits of hedonistic desires.
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Erza Miller
Run time: 103 min
We accept the love we think we deserve.
Teen movies. Adults view it as something nostalgic from their teen years. Most just circling around the cliches and stereotypes and it is not bad if presented right. Some try to cut deep to what does it feel to be a teenager where problems are more than just on how to be popular and date the hot guy/girl in the class.
The Perks of being a Wallflower is the latter. It is not your typical teen movie with typical stereotypes that can make you cringe since it does not feel real at all, but the one that can make you think and introspect on your youth. Directed by the book writer himself, I think the film has some hit and miss.
It missed to mention the time setting of the film which can make people confused on why the main character is typing on a typewriter and why do people do not seem to concentrate on their gadgets. It happened in 1991-1992, according to the book, thus it justify the 90s soundtrack all over the movie. It also miss on using cinematography as a medium of story telling, although the flat cinematography is actually fine for this kind of film.
But it hits all the chords of coming of age angst like fear of being unaccepted, first love, family problems, guilt, sorrow and how to face it all with the help of your best friend.
It tells about an introverted high school student Charlie (Logan Lerman), who is naive and socially awkward. He enters high school fresh from recent suicide of his best friend. He has no friends and from his inner monologue he guided us through the film. Struggling to find friends he is encouraged by his literature teacher and his new two friends Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), who welcome him to the real world.
Charlie find refuge in writing and as a writer myself I can understand that writing can help people to get through so many randomness on their life. As a writer he listens and understand what is going on around him.
Story of misfit trying to put their feet on the ground is always interesting to tell. In fact most of teen movies are about that and I wonder if the directors and screenwriters are previously a social misfit during their teen years thus they channel their nostalgia through movies.
Sure, anyone can argue that their teen experience is different than most movies but such fears and problems is the one that is rarely addressed in movies, especially American movies.
Lucky for this one, it doesn't fall to become ultra emo or too preachy (or even trying to be too sensitive), it present things as it is. Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller are amazing, especially Ezra who is quite scary in We Need to Talk about Kevin.
The other good aspect of this film is the soundtrack, from Come on Eileen to Heroes from David Bowie which remind me of my own teen years since those songs are the one that was once hits when I was in high school.
Overall, Perks is a good movie and a rare one. I think other filmmakers who wanted to make a film about teen should watch it so they know that there is more to teen life than just shallow pursuits of hedonistic desires.
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