PERFUME:
The
Story
Of
A
Murderer
With
Ben
Whishaw,
Rachel
Hurd-Wood,
Alan
Rickman,
Dustin
Hoffman
Directed
by
Tom
Tykwer
If
this
film
had
been
made
shortly
after
the
mid–‘80s
publishing
of
Patrick
Süskind’s
novel
Das
Parfum,
I’m
sure
it
would
not
have
been
such
an
amazing
cinematic
experience.
Not
only
is
it
one
of
the
best
serial
killer
movies
of
recent
years,
but
also
one
of
the
most
innovative
period
pieces.
It
is
Paris
in
the
1800s.
A
young
man,
literally
born
into
squalor
and
left
for
dead,
leads
a
horrendous
life
-
sold
from
the
orphanage
to
slave
away
in
a
tannery.
But,
he
has
a
very
special
gift.
His
sense
of
smell
is
so
highly
developed
that
he
can
pinpoint
and
isolate
any
fragrance
emanating
from
anywhere,
becoming
like
a
sense
of
sight.
While
in
the
city
delivering
leather
skins,
a
fragrance
grabs
his
attention
and
entrances
him.
It
is
the
natural
scent
of
a
young
woman.
He
follows
her
to
an
isolated
space
and
she
freaks
out
-
trying
to
silence
her,
he
accidentally
kills
her,
and
with
it
her
scent
fades
and
disappears.
Here
begins
his
quest
to
capture
human
fragrance
and
harness
it.
It
brings
him
in
contact
with
an
aging,
once
great
perfumer.
He
creates
the
most
incredible
fragrances
for
the
overjoyed
profiteer
in
exchange
for
knowledge
in
the
techniques
for
creating
perfumes.
This
leads
him
to
the
French
town
of
Grasse,
where
his
experiments
reach
a
psychotic
(but
successful)
peak,
each
time
costing
a
young
woman’s
life.
The
film’s
denouement
is
a
double-hitter
with
an
incredible
effect
which
I
won’t
dare
give
away
here.
Marvelously
acted,
beautifully
filmed
and
brilliantly
executed,
Perfume
is
a
film
not
to
be
missed.
The
only
way
this
great
picture
could’ve
been
improved
is
if
it
was
in
French
and
directed
by
Jeunet
&
Caro.
6
/
A
-
PB
1
2
3
4
5
6
A
-
B
-
C
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