– Laura Stewart contributed to this report.
Based on the best-selling book by Stephen Chbosky, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” centres around a smart but quiet teenager Charlie (Logan Leeman). He writes letters about his friendship with two seniors called Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), along with his and other’s love – lives, and the highs and lows of growing up.
It was a wise choice for the screenplay and film to be directed by the author himself. He kept the film’s narrative very close to the book so fans knew what to expect, while his directing of the brilliant cast captured the characters’ personality perfectly on the big screen.
The main story of Charlie is a powerful and sensitive one that Logan Leeman handles delicately with his performance. He captures the audience’s attention with Charlie’s misunderstood loner tendencies, as a boy who just wants to fit in with his peers – and does so after meeting a group of friends Sam calls “the island of misfit toys”.
Sam is brought to life through brilliant acting by Emma Watson. She has come a long way from witchcraft and wizardry in the “Harry Potter” franchise, to playing Sam – a confident but troubled girl who Charlie is in love with. The only concern was the American accent she spoke with, which seemed weak at times.
However, it was Ezra Miller as the flamboyant, charismatic Patrick that was a favourite with the audience – producing laughs throughout the film. Miller, along with the rest of the cast, dealt well with the dark and sensitive themes within the film, but counteracted these with well-acted carefree moments that seemed infinite.
The soundtrack to the film is also a bonus for avid music fans, including songs from The Smiths, David Bowie and Sonic Youth that suited the film being based in the ’90s.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the best film-adaptions out there. It stays close to its original roots, keeping in touch with the book’s fan base. Each character is portrayed by a truly terrific cast, in a performance that won’t leave fans disappointed but instead with the question, “when is it out on DVD?”
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is out now in cinemas.