A Beautifully Made and Acted Movie

Rating: 10/10 (8 October 2012)

A lot of people try to pin Perks as a coming of age movie. It is very much that, but it's also a whole lot more as well. A lot of its themes, such as how the friends who get us through tough times are to be treasured, translate to any age.
Chbosky has very successfully translated his incredible novel onto the screen, preserving most of the critical elements loved by millions of fans. You can tell this movie was deeply personal for him, and it shows in his direction, locations and in his screenplay. Although Chbosky had limited directorial experience, I was impressed.
This was truly an actor's movie, and the casting was perfect all the way through. I thought the three leads all did equally well in their respective roles. They were all amazing. Many seem to think Ezra Miller did the best of the three; while he perfectly brought the lively, charismatic Patrick to life, and played a perfect balance between being outgoing and reflecting some deep inward hurt, I didn't think his performance was any better than the other two. He actually had the easiest role to play. Logan Lerman was absolutely brilliant as Charlie, an extremely difficult part to do well. Logan perfectly captured the deep awkwardness, uncertainty and thoughtfulness of his character, as well as the emotions raging within him, from his tortured memories to his aching crush on Sam. As a viewer, you form a deep bond with him.
I find it surprising that Emma Watson seems to get the least kudos. She had the most to prove, burdened with the doubts about acting ability (fair or not) that seem to go to actors from blockbuster franchises. There should be no more questions about whether she can act outside of Potter, as she did Sam spot on. I thought Sam was the most enigmatic character in the book, and Emma wonderfully captured all the deep nuances of her character. Just from her facial expressions and presence alone she hinted at Sam's internal conflicts and self doubts, and is believable as the girl Charlie would fall heavily for. All the cast seemed realistic as close friends, and there was some great on-screen chemistry , particularly between Emma and Logan, that will at times bring on the tears.
Regardless of your age, there's something here for everyone. It's just a plain good movie. The amazing thing is that Emma Watson apparently had to go from studio to studio begging for a few dollars to get this amazing book made into a movie. Even after turning out extremely well, it is still playing in far fewer theaters than some of the less than stellar "mainstream" Hollywood offerings.