An imperfect but touching, thought-provoking film about discovery, sexuality, friendship and betrayal.

Rating: 6/10 (11 October 2012)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a strange little film that will likely divide audiences before they even reach the cinema. Writer/director Stephen Chbosky has a ready-made audience from his source novel and has credibility as the creator of TV series Jericho, but as a director he has just one previous big screen outing: 1995's little seen The Four Corners of Nowhere. In front of the camera there is little in the way of star power though both male leads have some impressive films on their CVs: Logan Lerman has ably supported bigger names in the likes of 3:10 to Yuma and starred in Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief while Ezra Miller positively chilled the world as the titular sociopath in We Need to Talk About Kevin.
So it falls to the biggest name amongst the principal stars, Emma Watson, to woo the audiences. And therein lies the division. Watson has physically appeared on the big screen in nine films prior to this, eight of which were as Hermione Granger. If you've never watched a Harry Potter film, your only cinematic reference to date is a brief appearance in the fine My Week With Marilyn. If you're one of the countless millions who have watched the wizard series you'll either recall her acting ability evolved from 'not terribly good' to 'passable' or you're still under fourteen years of age.
The first thirty minutes of The Perks of Being a Wallflower verge on arduous, largely due to Watson, playing Sam, the older woman to Lerman's Charlie. She tries so damn hard to act, to be noticed, to be American, to earn our respect but succeeds only in looking like a child who has raided her mum's wardrobe but is ten years too young to carry it off and ten years too old to still look cute. For thirty minutes I watched a film that barely warranted two stars and I groaned inwardly at the thought I chose this over Anna Karenina.
Then something happened. Or rather, nothing in particular happened but Watson relaxed into Sam, The Perks of Being a Wallflower found its feet and I realized I was watching an imperfect but touching, thought-provoking film about discovery, sexuality, friendship and betrayal. And, shockingly, that Emma Watson has the makings of being a reasonably good actress. Once she relaxes, her performance is tender and Sam's desperation is palpable.
Charlie is an introverted freshman with little self-confidence who writes letters to his only friend: a friend who committed suicide. Faced with the challenge of college, Charlie begins his first day with desperate hope for change and concludes it counting down the days until graduation. Life sucks, the bullies spot him a mile away and his only escape is through the books his English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd), inspires him with until he is adopted by a group of misfits in their final year headed by Sam and her stepbrother, Patrick (Miller).
Miller stands out with a performance that is a world apart from Kevin. As Patrick he is a maelstrom of emotions in a fragile body that wears gregariousness like armour. He is judgmental, forgiving, joyful, depressed, delightful and as annoying as hell. Patrick is damaged goods. And that's why he and Sam are more than stepsiblings. And that's why Charlie fits right in. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a film for all of us who felt like we were on the outside trying desperately to make someone notice we were hammering on the door to be let in. It's also a film for all of those who were enjoying the party and decided to ignore the banging.
The trailer implies a sweet, humorous college flick but it doesn't portray the various shades of darkness within the characters. Everyone has a side they turn away from the crowd and Chbosky, after a faltering start, rotates every character so the dark side faces the camera, if only fleetingly. He writes and directs like a chess player (no, not a grandmaster, but that may come) lulling us into a false sense of security with something sweet or cheerfully twee and then he kicks us hard, square in the balls and we gasp at this new revelation.
For some viewers there are great twists and turns, but most will watch as the characters slowly unfurl and reveal more of what is hidden deep inside and not see each new disclosure as a shock but as another jigsaw piece to reveal the full picture.
There were no tears, no huge lumps in my throat and too much damage was done in the first 30 minutes to elevate The Perks of Being a Wallflower above six stars but it is a good film, particularly after the event as the story remains very much in mind.
I had intended to make it the first in a double bill with Sinister but such was the effect on me that I opted not to pollute my state of mind with something harsh and lacking in sensitivity, instead preferring a slow drive through dark country lanes home to a warm cottage to where I could let the story filter through in its own time.
Another film review from The Squiss.
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