For those of you who know me, you'll now that I'm a fan of 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower.'
As someone who loves the book, I was dubious about going to see the new movie; starring Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson.
My expectations (and emotional investment!) into this movie were very high, to say the least. So, I kind of predicted that I wouldn't like it, at all.
How wrong was I.
As with all book adaptations, it's pretty impossible to include everything that's within the book. That's more than okay with me. What this movie did manage to (and I would assume this is due to Stephen Chbosky's directing,) is keep the heart of the book.
I know, I know, that's incredibly cheesy. But if you've read the book, you'll know why this is vital.
I don't want to give away anything about the book or the movie, just for those who have been hiding in a cave.
To put it simply, it's a coming of age, american high school story. Sounds unoriginal, right? It's so much more than that. You become attached to the characters and you become the characters themselves because everything they say and feel, you recognise it all. (By you, I mean I, but also maybe you.) This is applicable for both the book and movie.
I'll be honest, I'm probably biased. I was too emotionally invested in the book, and so the same is true for the movie. I sat crying for about 70% of the movie. It's both heart breaking and hilarious, and that's what makes it so realistic.
I dragged my friend along who hadn't read the book and only knew of it through me, and she was also a bit of an emotional mess whilst watching it.
There may be many things wrong with this movie, from cinematographic point of view, but I can forgive all that. It takes something special to invoke such emotion.
If you haven't come across 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' yet, run out and get the book. It's not that long, I promise. Go out and see the movie if that's more your thing, I am in love with both of them.
I get so excited when I remember how much I love something, and the reasons why I became so attached to the story.
Even if you love something for quotability factor, this is the book for you. I'm a sucker for a good quote, and this is full of them!
On a side note;
As a massive Harry Potter fan...I've really never been that much of an Emma Watson fan. This is probably more due to the fact that she got to play Hermione and I didn't, and therefore she knows J.K Rowling and I don't. Some of us just draw the short straw in life ;) However, all of that was forgotten in this movie. Emma was amazing. I can't really comment on the American accent all that accurately, but it sounded 'right' to me, and as far as the character of Sam is concerned, I empathised so much with her. I can't really say I felt this when reading the book, or just not as strongly as I do now I've seen the movie, but Emma just added an extra something.
Ezra Miller was amazing. AMAZING!
And Logan was the perfect Charlie.
"We accept the love we think we deserve."
Wah, I completely hated the film. The book has been my favourite for years and I've read it like 30 times. I know every page of by heart and it's a book that's really stayed with me. I was so excited to see it last night, but I honestly didn't start enjoying it til the *realisation* which is almost right at the end of the film. I feel that they missed TOO much out, things that were important to the plot and how Charlie felt and it left me feeling abit empty afterwards.
ReplyDeleteThe acting was great, don't get me wrong and I think people who have read this book before (I'm talking once or twice) would enjoy it because it does follow the story, there was just so much missing and my favourite lines were said by the wrong characters or at the wrong time and it really upset me.
End of rant hahaha x
Haha everyone needs a good rant sometimes ;)
DeleteI guess everybody's going to have a different opinion it! I've read the book probably 20+ times so I'd definitely count it as a favourite, but I kinda just accepted that they were going to be different to some extent and so to take them as different entities/ to appreciate the movie for what it is rather than what it isn't!
It's always hard translating a book into film, and I'm usually in the camp that hates the movie adaptation but I'm learning to separate the two!
The only bit that really peeved me (and I've had this discussion with friends!) is the delivering of 'We were infinite,' I'd have liked it to have been done retrospectively with perhaps flash backs to that moment, but for the most part I can see why they had to change/remove various things!
It's such a poignant book and it was always going to be hard to keep that, so things that worked for the book may not necessarily have worked for the movie.
I guess, like with anything, people take different things out of everything! It's a shame you didn't like it though! x