A Very Nice Perk

The Oscars are being handed out in less than a week, and I've written on several occasions now about the higher-than-usual quality of the films in contention. But I always personally feel as though one great film gets overlooked every year, and that's a tradition still in effect.

This past weekend, I watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It's based on a well-regarded book by Stephen Chbosky; the author himself wrote the screenplay adaptation and directed the film. It focuses on a bright misfit entering his freshman year of high school, who manages to find a circle of friends. The story incorporates a wide variety of themes. The film is in part about crushes and unrequited love. It's also about dealing with loss and death, as a back story of suicide opens the film. This same blend of lightness and darkness plays all throughout, leading up to an emotional conclusion.

The film boasts a trio of impressive young actors in the major roles. Logan Lerman stars as shy Charlie; though he's probably most recognized these days for the recent Percy Jackson movie, I remember him from the short-lived but impressive television series Jack & Bobby. The entire film hinges on his character being instantly likeable even as he remains somewhat mysterious, and Lerman carries that off perfectly.

The first friend he makes is a senior named Patrick, played by Ezra Miller. He's a relatively new face, though I happen to have seen one of his earlier movies, City Island. His character here is energetic and quirky without ever seeming false, and Miller comes close to stealing the movie in several scenes.

Of course, the third part of the trio is the one everyone will recognize, Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame. Here, she perfectly sheds her British accent and the straight-laced film persona she's best known for to play a free-spirited high school senior. She has to embody a lightness and joy, while still showing a touch of the dark past her character has hidden beneath. She also has to be someone the main character (and the audience) would instantly fall in love with. And she does it all beautifully.

The supporting cast includes a few other recognizable faces in smaller roles, including Paul Rudd, Dylan McDermott, and Joan Cusack. It film also features a soundtrack making full use of the period setting of around 20 years ago, layering the movie with lots of fitting musical touchstones. The movie is perhaps not as impressive visually, though there are a few inspired camera choices here and there that present some memorable images.

I found The Perks of Being a Wallflower to be a moving and effective film, and I'm surprised and disappointed that it didn't net a single Oscar nomination in any category. It slides into the #3 slot on my own Top 10 of 2012 list, with my strong recommendation. I give it an A-.