Directed by Tom Tykwer | Starring Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Jessica Schwarz, Karoline Herfurth
Distributed by DreamWorks Pictures (USA), Constantin Film (Germany), Pathé (UK) | Running time 147 min.


Review by Jed Medina and Kathleen Sydenham

"For the first time in his life, he realized that he had no scent!" exclaims the narrator.

It is a shocking revelation for Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw). Reluctantly, he has come to the conclusion that he is probably the most isolated man in the world, and that one day he will die and leave no trace of his existence. In this state of mind, he promises himself that he will not die unnoticed, that he will be remembered, that he will be a 'somebody'.

Grenouille, with his phenomenal sense of smell, is a man devoid of emotions. He came into the world unwanted, with his own mother trying to kill him. Growing up in Paris during the 18th century, he has to endure the taunts of boys who are resentful of him during his days at an orphanage. In his teens, he works in a tannery, slaving 16 hours every day of the week just to survive. But he endures, hoping that one day he will discover a world outside - a world with scents and colors and life.

On his first time walking the streets of Paris, he encounters a new, delightful, intoxicating smell - that of a young, virgin girl. It is so mesmerizing, so alluring that he becomes blind to everything else. He follows the scent and in the process, commits his first act of murder. As the girl dies, so does her scent, leaving Grenouille with a longing for more. This single event will haunt him for the rest of his life.

He now has a purpose. He will try to capture that intoxicating scent and use it to create the perfect perfume. But first he needs to learn this mysterious process. Enters Giuseppe Baldini (Dustin Hoffman) a once famous perfumer who has lost his touch. With the help of Grenouille, he regaines his reputation and in return teaches the young man the many mysteries and processes of perfume-making.

But Baldini's knowledge and skills are not enough. Grenouille still fails to capture that intoxicating and elusive smell. He travels to Grasse, the perfume capital of France and the world, to learn more...

Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), Perfume is a study of contrasts. Grenouille's power of scent and how he uses it does not differentiate between the good and the bad smells. As he pursues the object of his obsession, we are transported from the stench of Paris into the lush and freshness of fragrant French countryside.

What is so amazing about this film, aside from the intelligent directing and cinematography, is the acting. Ben Whishaw, who stands 5'9", is nevertheless an acting giant. His portrayal of Grenouille is both chilling and fascinating. The subtle changes of emotions on his face are remarkable and deserve much praise. While the character in Patrick Suskind's novel is described as being disfigured (a hunchback) and unattractive, Whishaw is the exact opposite. He exudes a certain charisma and innocence mixed with a hint of sexual danger and notoriety.

After a series of supporting but notable roles in Layer Cake, Enduring Love and Stoned, Whishaw is now showing us the greater extent and range of his acting talents. It has been said that Tykwer was already aware of Whishaw, even before casting him as the lead. Whishaw has previously received critical raves for his portrayal of Hamlet at the Old Vic theatre in England.

Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman both provide superb support for Whishaw. While Hoffman may not be your ‘ideal’ Italian perfumer, he portrays the once famous character with the dignity of someone who has passed his prime.

While there are some departures from the novel, which is one of the most fascinating reads, Perfume remains a powerful and remarkable story.

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Comments (3)

Amazing book, wonderful movie!

Thanks for the review.

"The Perfume" is an amazing book, one of my favourits. I read it after I've seen the movie and I also thought that the Grenouille in the book is different to the Grenouille in Tykwer's movie. Still I love Ben
Wishaw's portrayal. He fills the screen with his presence and makes the viewer feel for him. He's
wonderful.

I enjoyed Tykwer's "Run, Lola, Runa" (Lola rennt) and his short movie "True" tremendously and I was so glad to hear that he would make "The Perfume", one of the most popular books ever. He didn't disappoint.

Rina H. , June 10, 2007

Tykwer is a good director!

I also had the chance to watch Run Lola Run, it's the 2nd film that I saw Franka Potente, and the first for Moritz, who happens to be another amazing German actor. His surname is hard to spell...tho... :sigh

Ben Whishaw is going to be BIG! He is soo good in the orgy scene, when he started to remember the first girl, the one selling the peaches...I think it was one of the highlights of the movie!

Admin , June 14, 2007

Perfume DVD Release, July 24th

Thanks so much Jed and Kat for such a great review! This movie sounds so intriguing, and I have been hearing and reading so many good reviews about how amazing Ben is in this role....I really want to see this! To think, supposedly a couple of well known directors were first attached to direct this, but claimed it was unfilmable and unadaptable....glad that Tykwer was able to make such a successful film, that also showcased Ben's great acting!

Just thought I would mention here in the movie's review (hope its OK for me to post it here), that the DVD release for Perfume is on July 24, 2007:

'PERFUME - THE STORY OF A MURDERER' DVD RELEASE JULY 24 ON AMAZON

Jan , July 24, 2007

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