Perks of Being a Wallflower

I went to see the Perks of Being a Wallflower on Saturday!
With it being my favourite book of all time, I was actually nervous to see it. I think its because it was the first book I read that didn't end how I expected it to. I just didn't know how it would transcend onto the big screen and I didn't want it to be ruined.

But sweet baby Jesus, it was actually perfect. SO well done! It was like seeing my child go out into the world for the first time. Not too sure whether it's just a rose-tinted glasses thing but it really was a spectacular adaptation. Stephen Chbosky should feel very proud. (Soppy Alice).

Moving on to the media side of things...
(I may give things away here, so if you haven't read the book or seen the film; A - shame on you and B - look away now).

When Charlie was experiencing drugs, the audience saw the world from his perspective. I'm not too sure what the technique is called but it was like people were moving really slowly, and you could see their silhouettes. Really disorientating, but very effective.

Also, at the end of the film, Charlie had a breakdown. The audience saw a series of very quick flashbacks of Charlie's childhood which was really effective, because personally, it made me feel quite dizzy. I'm assuming that was the aim because my cousin felt the same. Also, because Charlie was a 15/16 year old boy going through the struggles of High School, he can be related to, so all that he goes through and the emotions he feels, is, I'm guessing, supposed to be accessible to teenagers.

Lots of close-ups are used on Charlie's (beautiful) face as he is the main character. Also, if you read the book or see the film, you'll quickly learn that he is a very emotional boy. He is a 'wallflower' - he takes everything in whilst sitting on the sidelines. These close-ups allowed the audience to see these emotions, making me cry loads.

In the fight scene in the cafeteria, the audience don't actually see all of it because Charlie blocks it out of his memory. The screen flashes black a few times and when vision has been regained, the scene we see is Patrick, Brad and Brad's friends all on the floor whilst Charlie looks at his battered knuckles, suggesting he hit them all to save Patrick. (I read the book so I knew what happened HA HA).Throughout the film after that, the flashbacks of the scene arise when Charlie is emotionally unstable again. As he remembers, the audience gets to see what really happened.


In conclusion it is SUCH A FANTASTIC BOOK/FILM! I recommend both!



Enjoy!