In the Mood for Podcast: Episode 35

EPISODE 35: The High and the Mighty
[1:23:39]
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It's Episode 35 of In the Mood for Podcast, a British-based film podcast hosted by Calum Reed of Ultimate Addict and Pete Sheppard of In the Mood for Blog. With the awards bait officially out of the way we're turning our attentions towards top ten lists this week, but will any of our picks match? We attempt to find gems among the wreckage of "Flight" and the frottage of "Hyde Park on Hudson," while Pete endures the pop-happy politics of "Starbuck." We're previewing the upcoming Berlin Film Festival, the lineup of which includes Richard Linklater's highly-anticipated "Before Midnight" and Wong Kar-wai's flashy-looking "The Grandmasters." We also take some time to consider the difficulties of list-making, and crow about our brand-spanking new site.

Discussed on the podcast:
Opening Segment: Announcement about our new website and a preview of the upcoming Berlin Film Festival
[4:25 - 14:35]

*Preconception Corner*

Reviews of:

• "Flight"
• "Hyde Park on Hudson"
• "Starbuck"

[18:50 - 50:25]

Closing Segment: Our top ten films of 2012, and our personal year-end acting lists!
[50:30 - 1:16:55]

*Shag, Marry or Kill?*
*The Watson Factor*
*The Poupaud Range*

Outro Music: Roy Orbison, "Blue Bayou"

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller

Grade: B+ [79]

In a world of exaggerated, simplified archetypes in cinematic portrayals of high school, it’s thoroughly refreshing to watch a film whereby students are expressed as actual human beings. This is the case with ‘Wallflower,’ which, with the help of confident performances from Watson and Miller, and a knockout leading turn from Lerman, details the interdependence of friendship through the tentative, personal annals of self-worth. While it’s true that the film’s structure feels as if its burdened central character is being heaped upon (as well as the audience) the beautifully layered routes toward connection ingratiate this sprawling sense of 90s youth with “Dazed and Confused”-style incision. Films with this much feeling simply aren't made anymore.