Tuesday, October 9, 2012
This week's heat film reviews - The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Taken 2 and Sinister
This week the heat team grabbed their popcorn and Minstrels and headed to the pictures to watch the three biggest releases in Moviesville over the past seven days - The Perks Of Being A Wallflower; starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson, Taken 2; starring Liam Neeson and Sinister; starring Ethan Hawke.
Here's what we thought:
Gallery
Gallery
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Erza Miller, Mae Whitman
Director: Stephen Chbosky CERT 12A, 102 mins
The plot: While a film version of The Catcher In The Rye, the greatest teen-alienation novel ever, remains a distant prospect, author Stephen Chbosky delivers an adaptation of his own 1999 bestseller, set in early-’90s Pittsburgh. Charlie (Lerman), a troubled teen in his freshman year of senior high, cherishes his invisibility, until he meets an older group of fellow outsiders. “Welcome to the island of misfit toys,” declare step-siblings Sam (Watson) and Patrick (Miller). Alcohol, mild drug use, spilled secrets, heartache and mixtapes featuring cool UK indie bands ensue.
What’s right with it? Not every writer is the best person to adapt their work for the screen, let alone direct the resulting movie, but Chbosky earns his spurs here. Casting is key: those who only knew Logan Lerman from routine Hollywood fare Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief and The Three Musketeers couldn’t guess how heartbreakingly brilliant he is as Charlie, eschewing angsty showboating with a masterclass in quiet strength. Emma Watson, as vulnerable free spirit Sam, should win over a fair few naysayers, and Paul Rudd as a sensitive English teacher is a bonus.
What’s wrong with it? Not a lot, although the self-congratulatory bubble inhabited by Charlie’s new pals may grate a little. The epic quest to discover the identity of a beloved song (the not-terribly obscure Heroes by David Bowie) is unintentionally comic.
Verdict: Heavy themes, deftly handled, vivid characters and brave performances drag the teen movie from the usual clichés. Funny, sad, tender and true. 4/5 @charlesgant
Via: This week's heat film reviews - The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Taken 2 and Sinister