The films I have chosen this week, The Words and The Perks of Being a Wallflower are new
but not recently brought to the silver screen. Both look at the way people relate to those around
them and to their own self, encapsulating stories that are filled with love and heartbreak that
are sure to have you as the viewer fully engaged in the story from start to finish. I thoroughly
enjoyed watching both films and hope you will too.
The Words (2012)
The Words, starring Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Silver Lining Playbook), Dennis Quaid
(Flight of the Phoenix, The Rookie), and Jeremy Irons (The Mission, The Man in the Iron Mask),
displays the problem of deciding what is fact and what is fiction in one’s life. Rory Jansen
(Cooper) is a struggling writer who can’t seem to get any publishing company to take a serious
look at his work. This sends him into a depressed state in which he almost gives up ever having
his work hit the shelves, until suddenly he finds an old manuscript that is filled with the most
beautiful story he has ever experienced. Not knowing who wrote these words, Rory types them
up and makes them his own, becoming an instant success in the world of fiction writing. Life
seems to be grand until he has a chance meeting with an old man (Irons) who tells him a story
that turns his world upside down. Deeply focusing on one’s relationship with self and others,
The Words looks to ask its viewers what they value in their own lives and whether these values
are true fact or just a fictional story they have created for themselves.
Rating: 10 Stars
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Displaying the struggles that young adults have in finding their places in life, The Perks of
Being a Wallflower rises against the normal stereotypes of high school, putting the need for
friendship above popularity and social convention. Charlie (Logan Lerman [Percy Jackson &
the Olympians, The Three Musketeers]) is a teenager starting his freshman year of high school
who has a troubled past. To fight the sadness that lurks inside of him, he searches for friends
who can give him love and support. Charlie finds friends in two quirky seniors, Sam (Emma
Watson [Harry Potter 1-8, The Tale of Despereaux) and Patrick (Ezra Miller [We Need to Talk
About Kevin, Another Happy Day]) who take him under their wing and show him the ropes of
high school. With the help of Sam and Patrick, along with his honors English teacher (Paul
Rudd [Role Models, I Love You Man]), Charlie learns the importance of being himself and gains
the ability to have intimacy with others. As a teenage drama, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
gives the audience an outlook of what can happen when one takes initiative in their own life and
refuses to settle for what he or she has been labeled by society.
Rating: 8 stars
