The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) DVD / Blu-ray

By: Oberst Von Berauscht (Two Beers) -
How many beers do you recommend for this movie?

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Author Stephen Chbosky adapts his own novel in this film about growing up an outcast.  Charlie (Logan Lerman) found it difficult to fit in while in middle school, and following the suicide of his best friend, is desperately worried about Freshman year.  Charlie has a history of issues, having had a mental breakdown sometime in the past, and as a result has been pushed off the social ladder.  Here he finds Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), two Seniors who have braved the horrors of high school a long time, and are seasoned pros of not fitting in.  As Charlie’s friendship with Sam and Patrick starts to grow, shadows of his past start to intrude on his sanity.  At this same time Charlie houses a not-so-secret crush on Sam, who is too busy with her own relationship to notice.

Because women don’t notice things amirightpeople?

A Toast

For being a first time filmmaker, Director and Writer Stephen Chbosky seems to have gotten the hang of things quickly.  The film is very sure-handed, never giving away too much, and leaving just enough open to interpretation for the imagination of the viewer to run wild.  The sensitivity of his direction and his inherent empathy for his characters result in some fairly hard to watch sequences without resorting to petty exploitation.

If I wanted crass, I’d go to Family Video…

The cast delivers uniformly strong performances, with star Lerman and Ezra Miller standing out.  I can see big things coming for both actors in the near future.

The film also has a killer soundtrack, with the likes of The Smiths, David Bowie, New Order, and Sonic Youth.

Oh, yeah… And Tom Savini’s their shop teacher… BONUS!

Beer Two

Wallflower is film that accomplishes so much, presenting a very believable view of high school life.  School can be a lot to take in, especially when you have no real confidantes to share your feelings.  In amongst these brilliant moments (which I can say would bring out memories of anyone bullied in school), I couldn’t help but think there was a missed opportunity here.  While the film avoids plenty of typical School Movie clichés, there are times when they still come about. It doesn’t hurt the film significantly, but it keeps it from rising higher.

Verdict

A brutally honest, but ultimately positive coming-of-age story.

Drinking Game

Take a Drink: anytime someone talks about listening to “good” music.

Take a Drink: for everything that goes wrong.

Drink a Shot: to drive away any nasty memories this film will inevitably trigger.