The growing pains of adolescence, plus some others, are the cornerstone of Chbosky’s adaptation of his own novel about angst, trauma-induced depression, first love and loneliness. Lerman gives the best performance – but as the confused and geeky Charlie, he has the meatiest role. With thespian reputations to live up to, Watson and Miller disappoint a little as the extrovert siblings who take him under their wing by introducing him to the joys of mixtapes. It’s not Catcher, but then, Chbosky’s not Salinger.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Directed by Stephen Chbosky (USA, 2012) with Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller. Starts November 1