We are Infinite

Wondering what this is all about? Well, Don’t. This is the tagline of a movie and of a good one too. I am just done watching ‘The Perks of being a wallflower’, a romantic drama weaved around some high school teens trying to sort out their mess; trying to figure out a way. And I must say it isn’t about getting a girl, finding place in some school team, giving in to crazy hormones or another American Pie kind of run-of-the-mill production. It would be unfair to even compare. I was starkly reminded of the likes of Dead Poet’s Society and Good will hunting. Now you can understand where I am putting this one. And if you see it, you will realize why it deserves a place among the classics.

The movie revolves around the life of an introvert freshman who finds it extremely hard to make friends. Like all of us, he has his own mess to deal with. He counts the day he will have to spend in high school. He eats his lunch alone because he cannot find anyone who would like to be with him. He feels like a lost cause, carrying the burden of his past all around. But there is always light at the end of tunnel. And for this young man, it comes in the form of two seniors who are ready to accept him for who he is and make him a part of their world. There is nothing like acceptance and finding people who are as crazy as we feel we are. Our protagonist feels the same way.

But, what is life if not a big irony, a big mash-up where everybody is trying to figure out something or move away from something instead of moving towards something. As ‘The perks of being a Wallflower’ unfolds, it probes the deepest of human emotions, joys, fears and the games that our mind plays with us. It tells us how important it is to have a good teacher; to feel moments filled with life; to embrace our past for what it is; to share our insanity with great friends and to feel worthy of love. And also; not all of those high school seniors are bullies. Well, things might not work out as we planned. But our ability to let go and accept things as they are holds the key to what we do with our future. If you are one of those who believe that let the silence make the loudest of sounds, give this movie a go. I am sure you will not regret your choice. Subtle and yet so profound. This is what good cinema is all about.