When it’s over, simple story with complex issues. It’s not your typical high school story about boy/girl issues, but dares to address mature topics such as homosexuality, death, and sexual abuse. The film is never too depressing or judgemental, and offers just the right amount of humor in the right places to bring me closer to the characters, making me care about their circumstances. Charlie (Logan Lerman) is in his first year of high school. He is bullied and lonely, until he meets Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), two seniors who show him the real world. The characters are beautifully cast and portrayed. Miller continues to impress me with his versatility. After portraying Kevin in We Need to Talk about Kevin, he shows he can be liked as well as feared. I forget Watson was once Hermione, because she becomes this very insecure, tortured soul. Lerman is the big surprise. Charlie is a huge departure from Lerman’s usual action hero roles. His turn as Charlie proves he can act, and makes me remember how good he was in 3:10 to Yuma, opposite Christian Bale. The soundtrack plays an integral part in the storytelling. With songs by XTC, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, David Bowie, The Smiths, and New Order, I can’t help but be pulled into the 1980’s when Director/Writer John Hughes’s coming-of-age films were all the rave. This film reminds me of Hughes’s style of storytelling – intense and sensitive. The soundtrack, plus music orchestration by Michael Brook, lures me into an euphoric tunnel of delirium, bliss, confusion, and sadness. This film is a journey, and I highly recommend it.
My rating: 4 out of 5
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