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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Movie Review
A meritorious overall design and an intriguing beginning are promptly buried by exceptionally unconventional twists and a laughably bizarre conclusion in Tom Tykwer's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. With undertones of Silence of the Lambs, and a beautifully haunting score, we're unfortunately forced to root for Buffalo Bill. Based on the perceivably unfilmable bestselling novel by Patrick Suskind, the world of scents and smell appear visually delightful; however it fails to be wholly entertaining. <
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>In 18th century France, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Wishaw) is born to a nauseating fishmonger who promptly disposes of him in a pile of rotting fish carcasses and writhing maggots. She earns the noose for her troubles, and Grenouille is sent to grow up in the orphanage where he discovers his astounding ability to discern every kind of smell. He is sold to a vile tanner, and during a fortunate delivery happens upon Giuseppe Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), a déclassé perfumer who quickly buys Grenouille when he discovers his skills for deciphering the ingredients used in a rival's perfume. When a chance encounter with a young girl leads him to obsess over the unobtainable scent of womanhood, he ignites a killing spree of several women in the city of Grasse, using their bodies to create the elusive aroma. Antoine Richis (Alan Rickman) must protect his daughter, the most enticing woman in Grasse, whom he knows might be the final ingredient in Grenouille's relentless and unimaginable plan. <
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>Newcomer Ben Wishaw plays Grenouille with morbid yet enticing fervor, leading the viewer to anxiously wait for his next psychotic endeavor. Hoffman and Rickman also lend their acting expertise; Hoffman mainly for comic relief, and Rickman for much needed, stern normalcy. And normalcy is what Perfume so desperately lacked, as the twisted events abruptly spiraled to an unfathomable conclusion. So many pieces worked in favor of the film, but nothing could save it from its intangible plot. We follow the works of Grenouille much in the same way we root for the insidious Hannibal Lector, except that Perfume is unquestionably devoid of any Clarice Starling characters to which we can justifiably relate. As much as the film is visually stunning, the eccentricity is so overwhelming that by the unpredictable and sadly laughable conclusion, we're left with nothing to dwell on but those very atrocities. Culminating with a surprising display of sexual deviance, the magnificence and allure of the characters and settings are disbanded, resulting in disbelief and confusion. Crossing those boundaries of believability, even in a predominantly fantasy environment, and then subjecting audiences to little sense of retribution, leaves much to be desired from such an engrossing start. Curiously reminiscent of David Lynch, Shinya Tsukamoto and Alejandro Jodorowsky, director Tom Tykwer achieves few of their often satisfyingly macabre concoctions. <
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>Perhaps the only truly redeeming aspect of the film is the captivating score with a recurring melodic theme that permeates the oftentimes grisly look of the filthy cities portrayed. The major settings, first Paris where Jean-Baptiste is born, and then Grasse where he journeys to discover the secrets of preserving scents, are brilliantly recreated in all their dismal glory. Elaborate costumes and striking imagery are lavishly produced, and the abundance of highly aromatic items nearly burst from the screen. <
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>Fans of particularly deranged cinema might find this interesting fantasy palatable, but the majority of moviegoers will probably be paled by Perfume's deficient denouement and its lengthy two-and-a-half hour duration. <
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>- Mike Massie <
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To preserve the essential scents to immortalize the memories!
This is a very original film, based on the exacerbation of the smell, and impelled o unsuspected heights. Based on the famous best seller of Patrick Susskind, the cinematographic proposal was very satisfactory. This promising director handled with secure hand and firm conviction this weird story about a human being with a visible lack of affection and tender (since the moment he was born) who found his bliss through the pleasure of enjoying and even to recognize the most unexpected scents and, to separate them and back to join them in new and attractive proposals. <
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>The suspenseful frame I which the movie undertakes is filled of daring camera work and so the edition process and the enigmatic presence of this strange collector of scents and something else that you must find out. <
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A movie worth watching!
Perfume-The Story of a Murderer brings to the screen the tale of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a young man with an unprecedented sense of smell, which allows him to do extraordinary feats such as break down the contents of a perfume simply by one whiff. Things take a turn to the darker side when he decides to create the perfect perfume made of the scent of young women... <
>The movie follows a pragmatic and realistic account of conditions in 18th Century pre-revolutionary France. The film brings to the screen two main stories, which are unfolding simultaneously: On the one hand, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, and his life dream of creating the perfect perfume, and on the other (and to a lesser extent), conditions leading to the French Revolution (1789). <
>The movie portrays superbly life in France, and provides valuable insight into a very important period of French (European) History. <
>We get a feel for the power and influence that the Catholic Church exerts during this time. <
>The film is also excellent in showing the Ancien Regime's methods of execution (Hanging and "The Cross") as opposed to the "revolutionary" guillotine used after 1789. <
>Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman (!), and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least. All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows. <
>The setting, the dialogues, the music, and the costumes are all wonderful! <
>Very well written and very well presented, it allows for a thought-provoking movie that will provide for an evening's entertainment. <
>Strongly recommended along with Napoleon the TV Miniseries (starring Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, Gerard Depardieu, and John Malkovich), Queen Margot (Isabelle Adjani), Brotherhood of the Wolf (Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel), and Vidocq (Gerard Depardieu) for those with a soft spot for France and/or French History. <
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