The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This afternoon I went to see The Perks of Being a Wallflower at Cinemopolis. This film was a lot better than I expected it to be. Honestly, I am not one for "indie flicks". I consider myself the opposite of a hipster and enjoy watching the mainstream movies that play in every mall in America. There. Feels good to say it out loud. Anyways, this film kept my attention with its coming-of-age story. The audience isn't privy to the main character's secret until the end when it is revealed in the heart-wrenching climax. The film was very good at keeping a melancholy mood without getting too depressing. There were clever jokes dispersed systematically throughout the film that gave the audience a little relief from the troubled characters. The characters were all very relatable and I was surprised to see so many familiar actors in the cast, some only speaking a handful of lines. I really liked the lighting of the film. There were many shots that were lit up by little bulbs of light. There were wintery holiday scenes lit by strings of white and multi-colored lights, Emma Watson's character has white lights lining the walls of her room, and there are a few scenes where the characters are driving and their faces are lit by lights along the highway. For some reason I really liked this stylistic choice. I found it visually pleasing and it gave me a sense of warmth that coincided with times the main character was feeling warmth in his life. I would recommend this film to everyone. It was my first time watching a movie at Cinemopolis (aside from the time my Fiction Field I film was screened there last Fall) and I had a very positive experience. I am looking forward to seeing more films there over the course of the semester!