The Perks of Being a Wallflower
From the opening scenes I wondered if this was a film I was going to struggle with (touchy-feely American indie flicks can go either way!). But then there was a surprise cameo from Tom Savini as a carpentry teacher*, and things picked up from there. Impressive and likable performances from the central trio, though the film definitely went on too long. And, as discussed in the Kermode review, I did find it very odd that three music loving teenagers in 1992 would never have heard David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ before!
Antiviral
I’d been looking forward to this for some time. Unfortunately, on the whole I found it rather tedious. Though the icky central idea is a good one, the execution was so icy and emotionally detached, I struggled to engage with any of it. I think the film would’ve greatly benefited from an injection of humour (pun intended). Even the manufacture of celebrity meat grown from their cells is dealt with a straight face! Maybe would’ve worked better as a 50 minute episode of
Black Mirror.
*vaguely sad listeneing back to bits of the commentary with the director and his teen leads. When the director points out Savini, the kids have no clue who his is, thinking he was just another bit part actor
