Prepare yourself for a extraordinary movie experience

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2012)

Has there ever been a moment in life when you look back at your high school life and reminisce on old memories whether they were good, bad, or embarrassing? I know I have. I guess that's how I felt this way about trying to survive high school and to find our hopes and dreams about who we'll be when we grow up, much like Charlie in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". I recently read the book and I can definitely relate to most of the situations that Charlie went through as well as anyone who has read it and seeing that the film has come to life thanks to Stephen Chbosky (the author of the book, as well the screenwriter and director), he discovers the human heart, the first chances you have in life and a chance to break away from all the pain, whether if you're an outcast or a popular kid. Set in Pittsburgh in the early 90's, both the movie and the book does follow Charlie (Logan Lerman), a 15-year-old kid starting high school for the first time. He is terrified about it after the loss of his two favorite people years ago and before high school started. Feeling lonely, depressed and ostracized by his peers in high school, he makes friends with Patrick (We Need to Talk About Kevin's Ezra Miller), the gay wild child and his stepsister Sam (Emma Watson, in her first major role outside the Harry Potter series) who welcomes Charlie into "The Island of Misfit Toys" and tells him that it's okay to be himself. As the movie goes on as well as the book, Charlie happens to write to his unnamed friend about his first experiences while hanging with his new friends, having a crush on a certain someone, getting some help from his English teacher, Bill (Paul Rudd) and gaining some perspective from his family, including his sister Candace (Nina Dobrev). But he has a dark secret that could possibly haunt him forever. It's amazing to me that "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is one of those rare movies that gets the tone, feel and look right. Chbosky does a great job of streamlining his 213-page book into a 103-minute movie, editing out certain moments but remains faithful to the story. And if you're a true fan of the book, some of the moments from Charlie's point of view, including the tunnel and Rocky Horror scenes are beautifully re-created on screen. And if you love the music in the book, one of the songs from the book ("Asleep" by The Smiths) is actually in the movie, so, find a chance to listen closely when you see it. The performances in the movie are amazing. They felt very real to me. If you look at this movie and tell us that the performances are not real to you, you need to have your head examined. These would be people I would've loved to hang out with in high school. Lerman is remarkable as Charlie, experiencing a lot of joy and emotions in many ways, including a heartbreaking scene that's reminiscent of Timothy Hutton in "Ordinary People". Miller steals every scene he's in and he brings humor and heart to a kid who likes being who he is, but has a few wounds that needs to be healed. And for Emma Watson? Oh, yeah, she captures Sam beautifully in a way that people will understand that she is no longer Hermione Granger. She also carries a very good American accent and it's an incredible performance. This is one of the best films I've seen so far this year. It's a high-spirited drama that's funny as hell, enchanting, heartwrenching and breathtaking. Not to mention that it carries a lot of reality of what high school life is like and how you can just live in the moment when you get a chance. It captures all of that brilliantly. See it to believe it and spread the word, this is a movie that you won't forget. Prepare yourself for unwavering emotions, hilarious humor and a chance of finding hope with "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", a true American teenage classic.