THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

Some fans of Stephen Chbosky’s beautifully crafted epistolary novella following a freshman coming of age in Pittsburgh in the early 90s may be unsettled by the vast differences the writer-as-director incorporated into the film. Naive and wistful Charlie is nowhere near as blatantly emotional as portrayed on paper, and the death of his best friend Michael is a mere blip at the beginning. Overall, though, the film is absolutely stunning. Both Most Valued Player Ezra Miller (as Patrick) and Logan Lerman’s Charlie provided performances that were as utterly convincing as they were hilarious. Hogwarts-graduate Emma Watson, despite a rather dodgy American accent at times, put up a commendable performance as the beautifully understated Sam, the love interest of Charlie. However, it’s clear that for Chbosky this was a chance for redesign, and to craft this well-loved story into a more visually appealing tale for the current generation. In that, it’s definitely a success. (CD) ****