The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Wow.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a great film.

Seeing movie ads with American critic's Joel Siegel's tagline, "You'll want to stand up and cheer," really irritated me as a younger film fan. But, the late Siegel's line works well here. I can't remember being this wrapped up, and excited, about a movie since the original Spider-Man hit the screen in 2002.

Please appreciate I went to a lot of movies in the 1980s. Teen sex comedies, Private School, Private Lessons, etc. etc. dominated the big screen's depiction of young adults. Fortunately better efforts occasionally appeared, including Pretty In Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful.

Here, director Stephen Chbosky brings his own book to the big screen in a 2012 release.

Charlie is having a tough time with life before he even starts Grade 9. A friend committed suicide. His much-loved aunt died in a collision. He's struggling with his mental health. "I need to turn things around," he declares early on.

High school doesn't start well. Former classmates want nothing to do with him. He's targeted by bullying by older students. Charlie eats alone at lunch.

Then he meets Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his stepsister Sam (Emma Watson).

They're seniors who take Charlie under their wing. Patrick and Sam share Charlie's love of music. It's hard to nail down a date here, but the presence of mix tapes suggests Perks is set in the 1980s.

Things get complicated. Charlie likes Sam. She tends to gravitate to guys who treat her bad. Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman) is another member of Patrick's circle of friends. She gets interested in Charlie. He's never had a girlfriend before and is a little confounded about how relationships work.

Perks works for so many reasons. It's funny, especially with Patrick's pronouncements. Perks is a romance. Charlie and Sam connect. She's trying to get into college. There's other guys. He's not quite sure what to do. Charlie struggles with his mental health. Things start to get better once he meets Patrick and Sam. His well-being takes a big hit when tensions rise within the group when he's torn between Mary Elizabeth and Sam.

I give Perks marks too for touching on abuse in dating relationships. That's something I don't remember seeing in a teen film before.

I missed this film when it came out. Maybe it didn't play in my city. But The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the best films I've seen in a long time. Watch this movie.

RATING: 9/10

FUN FACTS: Neat. Internet Movie Database reports Ezra Miller will appear as The Flash in a 2018 feature.

Logan Lerman, I've seen you at least once before. You were in the remake of 3:10 to Yuma in 2007.

Cool. Paul Rudd, who appears as English teacher Mr. Anderson, was in another teen film well worth seeing, 1995's Clueless.

This older film fan couldn't help but think of Mary Stuart Masteron, from Some Kind of Wonderful, when watching Emma Watson.

Toy Story III (2010)

Wow, what a return.


Eleven years after Toy Story II, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tom Allen) and the gang are back for the third chapter in this enormously enteraining animated series.

HE DOESN'T LOVE US ANYMORE


Here's a rare example of a film series that keeps on delivering the goods. For every The Empire Strikes Back, there's plenty of Back to the Future IIs. Translation: the magic that made the first film so good, and Back to the Future was a very well-made film, is long gone.


Toy Story III is a wonderful film packed with humour and touching emotion. Just don't let the really young ones anywhere near this comedy from director Lee Unkrich.

TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNGER ONES


A near-death experience for Woody and friends near the film's end is intense enough for adult viewers, let alone youngsters. Nightmares would appear to be a given if children get a look-see at this film. I'm not a parent, but I'm guessing anyone under eight would be really upset by Toy Story III. Parents, feel free to weigh in with your suggestions.


Andy (John Morris) is leaving for college. His room must be cleaned out before he ships out.


Woody and company haven't received much attention in a very long time. Andy has grown up and left his old friends behind. Dissension is in the ranks. Woody argues their loyalty should remain with Andy. He is their boy. Others want to experience the joy of being with a child again. It's a fair argument.


PARADISE OR PRISON?


The gang ends up donated to a nursery. Their new venue appears promising. It's big. It's colourful. There are plenty of children. "We hit the jackpot," cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) suggests. But the nursery is overseen by Lotsa (Ned Beatty), a bitter stuffed bear who lost the attention of a little girl years ago. This bruin's bad. His creepy baby henchman is a disturbing sight.


It's up to Woody to free his friends and get back to Andy's home. Time is short. He leaves soon for school.


Toy Story III works in many ways.


WELCOME ABOARD, KEN


The addition of Ken (Michael Keaton) is a real hoot. Here's a guy who has his issues. "I'm not a girl's toy," he argues at one point. He discovers Barbie (Jodi Benson) is part of Woody's posse. As much as he loves her, Ken is also part of Lotsa's gang. But Barbie, who has a brain in this film, knows just what buttons to push to break him.


Lotsa has turned the daycare into a prison. This sets up the film's breakout plot. Chatter Telephone (Teddy Newton) is the sage old-timer who breaks down all the challenges Woody et al have to overcome to gain their freedom. A toy monkey is their chief nemesis. How he is described is a real treat.


Toy Story III also delivers some real howlers of dialogue, including a fantastic description of Lotsa's evil ways and Ken's laments for fashion appreciation.


Unkrich has helmed each of the Toy Story films. Each is great fun. Anyone for Toy Story IV? I'm game.


RATING: 9/10

FUN FACTS: Jodi Benson first voiced Barbie in Dance! Workout with Barbie in 1992. She was also Ariel in The Little Mermaid.

Blake Clark, who appears as Slinky Dog, was a military police officer in the final episode of M*A*S*H.