the perks of being a wallflower



we are infinites





jeamkarlo febres




This film adaptation of the novel by American writer Stephen Chbosky, takes us back to 1991. It focuses on the friendship of Charlie, a smart and unsociable guy, who prefers to observe life from a distance; Patrick, an outgoing and charismatic boy that keeps a secret hidden and Sam a girl with a past littered with bad experiences. The main theme of the story is the self-discovery and self-acceptance, which was only possible through a true friendship that helps Charlie overcome his shyness, personal traumas, and have fun for the first time. In my opinion "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is a quirky, fresh and for fleeting moments, a deep generational portrait with great performances.

Firstly, there’s Charlie. Through his innumerable letters to his dead friend, we can walk the path of self-knowledge and confidence that is forming within himself. He’s a teenager with psychological problems. In a very innocent way he will wake to the world, through his friends, and he will be part of it. He’ll finally "feel infinite", when hearing his favorite David Bowie song while traveling on the road with his friends. The fundamental part of his history is what gives the dangerous turn that closes the film, and depending of the viewer it could result in a questionable choice or an acceptable narrative decision. Even so, it does not ruin all of the above.

Sam brings that inevitable freshness in any teenage movie. A well achieved character, who in essence sums up the relaxed and easy spirit of a teenager with an abundant sexual past. In the movie she motivates Charlie to accept and overcome the idea of seeing the girl who has stolen his heart in the arms of another guy. A character whose relationship gives us one of the most memorable phrases of the story: "we accept the love we think we deserve."

Then there’s Patrick. Ezra Miller, who with the ease of someone who is more than full of talent, steals the movie completely with a great performance. Actually, he’s the protagonist of another very good movie I saw last year "We Need To Talk About Kevin," playing a disruptive teenage psychopath. Either way, this role is responsible for the bizarre share of the story with a gay role very well achieved through an eccentric personality. Apparently it’s based on a free spirit that is constantly torn between a depressive attitude and a strong interior.

Life is not easy, and in the films, this means including socially dramatic arguments, sometimes, in very overwhelming ways. However, I do not share the opinion that each film has its own audience, but I must admit there are stories, maybe like this, that look to connect with a certain group and someone can be left out. Either way, the arguments about the typical conventions of teen movies such as wildness from high school, the almost total absence of parents and the predictable evolution of the characters’ conflicts. The film reflects that innocent and battered face of a handful of characters who survive the usual problems of adolescence in the 90's.