Brilliant! A near perfect coming of age film!

Rating: 9/10 (13 February 2013)

I think Perks of Being A Wallflower finds its magic in the fact that the original mind that created the best selling book also penned the screenplay and directed the film. No one knows a writer's world better than the writer himself. On top of that I think the cast was meticulously chosen and happen to have truly incredible chemistry. I don't know what I expected from the movie, I had only seen a few trailers for the movie and next thing I knew I was completely enthralled, touched and moved. I think Perks of a Wallflower is to anyone who was teenager in the 90's what American Graffitti was to its generation. Yes I am comparing it to that classic. It was so perfectly crafted and without being obvious or blatant in its references to the 90's. I went to High School in the 90's and I felt connected to the characters and the world they lived in and I was blown way by how many things I spotted that were the exact same items I owned (maybe a sheer coincidence but it was very cool.) The copies of the books the lead character had were identical to the ones I once owned (or still own) in High School. Each character was so unique and so well cast that everyone stands out in their performance.
I have always liked Logan Lerman but in a perfect world he would have gotten an Oscar nomination for his performance as the shy Charlie. Not only does Charlie struggle with fitting in but he suffers from having lost his best friend to suicide, sexual abuse as a child, and various mental health problems. His struggle truly strikes a chord and he is vibrant and just incredible on screen. Emma Watson shines as Sam. In her first major post Harry Potter role she is brilliant. I forgot all about her Hermoine days and she became Sam, Charlie's first love. Their chemistry is absolutely incredible and she is just perfect. Her role is subtle and yet her character captivating and struggling to find herself. Ezra Miller once again stunned me (he was brilliant in we Need To Talk About Kevin) as Sam's step-brother Patrick. He is also struggling to find his way in the world as a gay person. Now his character could have been incredibly cliché and predictable but it was anything but. All three of these actors made their characters come to life. You weren't watching a movie but rather watching these three young people find their way and struggle with their own very distinct personalities, trials, and tribulations. Nina Dobrev really impressed me in a small supporting role as Charlie's sister. She was excellent. The supporting cast were a lot of very familiar faces and they all did such a great job. Some of the roles were barely more than cameos and yet they were so effective. Definite honourable mentions to Paul Rudd and Tom Savini, who were so effective in their roles as High School teachers that I could have swore I personally had them both for classes. Mae Whitman, Erin Wilhelmi and Adam Hagenbuch did a terrific job at rounding out their group of friends. Dylan McDermott and Kate Walsh were good as Charlie's parents but I would have liked to have seen more from them and more interaction with Charlie. Two great actors that go fairly underused.
I think writer and director Stephen Chbosky has created one of the most brilliant coming of age films I have ever seen. I think this film will likely go very under-rated and I hope one day it rises as a classic like many films do. The soundtrack is brilliant because it perfectly takes you back without shoving the time period in your face. There is so much content and characters in the film but it never feels overwhelming. Every single thing just falls into place and is held together perfectly. I even toyed with slapping a perfect 10 on this movie and the only reason I am not is because I'm just not sure it will stand up to the test of time quite yet. But I can't express enough how brilliant I thought the movie was and Chbosky should be heralded for crafting such a well made movie. On the other hand, success is sometimes sheer luck and it just so happens this film has chemistry written all over it and the cast was so brilliant. I look forward to watching this again and again and certainly if you were a teenager in the 90's...this is your movie!! 9/10