A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
The passage can apply to more than one kind of love. To me I thought of this poem because of my love for coming of age stories where I can identify something with the lead character. Major details are always changed, but for a few brief instances, I understand more about the character on screen than I do my self proclaimed hectic life. Wallflower is the story of growing up about many people, but namely Charlie (Logan Lerman). Starting high school this year Charlie is completely lost on what to do. His best friend committed suicide a few months ago and Charlie is alone but not by choice. He fortunately comes across "the island of misfit toys", a group of mostly seniors who operate on a different track. Not really an outcast group in their high school, more just kids who won't compromise popularity with their taste. Charlie's life is changed namely by two members of the group. The first is Sam (Emma Watson), a lovable and kind girl. Charlie understandably forms a crush on her but she instead spends her love life with boyfriends who mistreat her. "Accepting the love we think we deserve". The film isn't so simple that the audience is justing hoping Charlie gets his chance with Sam, all of his new friends are entertaining and fulfilling. The second life changer is Patrick (a great Ezra Miller), a gay live wire of a person. While Charlie deals with the demons of his past, Sam works work to improve her life, and Patrick deals with his closeted boy friend (Johnny Simmons).
Going to the film I wasn't sure how I thought things were going to turn out. Personal experience in high school told me that the events of the film seem like a wild world of fiction. However as the film went the more I fell in love with it. For 103 minutes, I got to see characters lives I genuinely cared something for. The film feels sincere in it's actions. It's warm and inviting but doesn't shy away from the darker fears of adolescence. Wallflower was adapted from a book by non other than the author himself, he's bound to get the point across. Coming of age stories are a dime a dozen, but when you find a good one, it's mesmerizing. This is one of the best high school stories I've seen in years.
***1/2 out of ****
No comments:
Post a Comment