Reviews of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer review

Posted : 1 month, 2 weeks ago on 16 October 2008 10:48 (A review of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer)

Really great movie, full of beautiful scenes, almost as great as the book.

The main character barely speaks, but you can totally understand what he's feeling and thinking. The images and the narrator's description can make you feel the exactly essences, the perfumes (sometimes the stink).

I read the book after watching the movie, and figured out that Grenouille's mind is even more complex then I first thought.

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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer review

Posted : 5 months ago on 1 July 2008 02:34 (A review of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer)

Excellent. a great and unusual story of a murderer. no blood, no guts. Beautiful, involving and with a unexpected end. I want to read the book :)

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decent screen adaptation

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 30 July 2007 10:46 (A review of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer)

Orphan, Jean Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw) develops a special olfactory sense. After working in a tannery, he discovers the city and meets a girl that inebriates his senses. He then realizes that he has a destiny. He soon meets perfume-maker Baldini (Dustin Hoffman) and will reproduce perfumes for him. However, his work will take a dark turn as his search deepens for the ultimate scent.

While the book is very vivid and calls for the reader's imagination regarding the smells, and accurately describes the olfactory senses and odors one might encounter, the film obviously lacks this reproduction. (It *is* difficult to transfer odor on film! so this was to be expected.) Also, the book was more shocking than the movie probably because of the strong description of smells, and violent details.

That said, the film is nevertheless watchable, despite Hoffman's terrible overacting interpretation. Whishaw is a good casting choice as Grenouille, he is well directed and is not too much a "pretty boy" for the part.

The costumes, the period details, the images, the music - they do help in experiencing atmosphere, but it still rather limited because of the lack of correct interpretation or transcription of smells to the screen.

Worth watching once. For the sheer beauty of the photography work.

NOTE: I still recommend reading the book, whether before or after the film that is your choice. But read the book. A totally different experience.

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