Smart and pleasing coming-of-age tale

Rating: 9/10 (12 July 2015)

The high school genre has faced many ups and downs over the past few decades, with some films delivering an honest depictions of what its like to be a teenager in high school while some have come off as cheesy, uninspiring sex comedies that barred from reality. Rarely has Hollywood managed to generate a film so deeply honest in it's portrayal of the understandably complicated world of high school and adolescent angst. That is where this charming dramedy based on Stephen Chbosky's 1999 coming-of-age novel comes in. With author Chbosky pulling off an exceptionally feat of directing the film based on his own literary source material, Perks of Being a Wallflower comes almost nothing short of triumph in it's emotional journey through the eyes of a young high school adolescent. This film follows Charlie (played by Logan Lerman), a lonely young man entering his freshman year of high school, and is stuck in his own lonely world facing the dark memories of his late aunt who was killed in a car accident. When he meets seniors Sam (played by Emma Watson) and Patrick (played by Ezra Miller), they take him under their wing to where he learns the meanings friendship, love, and hope through a series of ventures through high school including prom, midnight showings of 'Rocky Horror Picture Show', and experimenting with relationships. Though the year in which the story takes place is not specified; the prominent soundtracks by David Bowie, and absence of the characters' cellphone usage and other advanced technology suggest the early 1990s.
Stephen Chbosky proves himself as a mastermind behind establishing an authentic world of teenagers navigating through the tribulations and uncertainties of high school. In the process of translating his novel to the silver screen, Chbosky abandons his epistolary style incorporated in the novel in favor of traditional storytelling, and by many he knows how it make it work. The film dives into a deep character study of the lead character, and takes on us on an emotional journey of him struggling to find his place in the seemingly hopeless world of high school. Though teen-oriented films have prominent to following a basic storyline like this its almost a cliché, this one exercises it a beautifully constructed manner that feels more inspiring. From there on, we come to know a wide range of interesting characters who each have face a problem of their own that many teens around the world can easily relate to. One of which is Ezra Miller's character Patrick who struggles with his relentless need to hide his homosexual relationship with Johnny Simmons, which is interesting enough to provoke some important discussions. As the story proceeds, Chbosky grants us with a truly emotional ride as it navigates through Charlie and his mental trauma that threatens his tear apart his inner beings, and his friends who deal with common adolescent tribulations like dating abuse. But at the same time, he brings a certain charm to the story that results in a blissful experience without coming off emotionally contrived. Don't get me wrong, there are also some funny moments sprinkled throughout to let audiences breath from its primarily mature subject matter.
The cast serves as not only one of the biggest driving mechanisms of the film, but also the emotional core of the film. Lead character Charlie is granted with a thoughtful performance by Logan Lerman hits the ball out of the park with his genuine emotional resonance and pure honesty. Emma Watson, fresh out of her role as Hermonie in the highly successful 'Harry Potter' franchise, provides a reasonable amount of substance and emotion in the role of Sam who comes a close friend of Charlie in the midst of his loneliness. Ezra Miller is quite absorbing in his role of Sam's stepbrother Patrick who must contend with his homosexuality, a performance more relaxed than his sinister portrayal as the psychologically disturbed child in 'We Need To Talk About Kevin'. Mae Whitman also treats us with a nifty little performance as Mary Elizabeth, a preppy girl who unexpectedly gets involved in a complicated relationship with Charlie. One of the biggest surprises that comes to the table however, is Paul Rudd who established a sense of ingenuity as Charlie's English teacher who becomes a faithful guiding hand for him.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a smart and pleasing coming-of-age dramedy that boasts an astonishingly realistic portrayal of high school adolescents as well as some incredible performances by a team of inspiring young actors. This film is certainly not like many other teen-target flicks, its one that is brutally honest and profoundly easy for many teenagers to relate to.