On DVD- Perks of Being a Wallflower

Movie:   Perks of Being a Wallflower
Major Actors: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd
Rating: PG-13
Best Audience:  Teenagers and young adults

Review:

There are so many things I love about this movie.  First of all, it is an adaptation of one of my favorite books. (by the same title).  Second of all, the director of the film is the author of the book, Stephen Chbosky!  It is such a rare occurrence that an author would even have the skill set to direct a film, but in this case, it worked quite well.  The fact that the book's author directed it made it one of the closest film adaptations to the book I've ever seen.  Nothing was left out or added.  It was perfect.

Another great thing about this movie is the casting.  Paul Rudd made an excellent English professor.  The teenagers in the film were not cliché representations of what adults believe teenagers are...they were real.  They reminded me of real people I went to high school with, as opposed to the fake, overly trendy 29 year olds you see in TV and movies that pretend to be teenagers. 

Really, you won't need to read the book to enjoy the film.  It is inspiring, funny, dark, and real.  A lot of people compare it to a modern version of "The Breakfast Club."  I think it actually goes much deeper than "The Breakfast Club."  However, it does similarly focus on the angst associated with "coming of age." 

The Campaign

Movie: The Campaign
Major Actors: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott, John Lithgow, Dan Akroyd
Rating: R
Best Audience:  Teenagers about age 15 and up would enjoy this, as well as adults that have an immature sense of humor.

Review:

This is one of those movies that is funny and entertaining, but not great.  If you are bored and would like a few stupid laughs, it is worth seeing.  Go with low expectations, and it will probably not disappoint.  The humor is on the immature side, so it definitely a movie men would enjoy more than women. 

One thing I do like about this movie is how even though it is "political," they do not really "take sides" with a political party.  The movie criticizes the entire American electoral process, especially the act of essentially "buying a candidate," or "buying an election."  The movie also distinguishes that there is a difference between a good political candidate and a good person, and in order to be one, you can't be the other.