Movie Review

Perfume - The Story of a Murderer

*Warning - spoilers ahead...


I’ve wanted to see this movie for years, ever since reading about it and the main character having extreme olfactory sense. With my sense of smell being the most hypersensitive of my senses and of anyone I’ve ever known or read about, I am drawn to books & movies exploring this topic even if works of fiction. I noticed it was OOP (out of print) and I knew I could rent it via Amazon, but I really wanted a physical copy after viewing the trailer - I knew I would like it, I collect strange OOP movies, and don’t like to watch movies on my computer. I searched all of our local 2nd hand shops for a copy of the DVD for years, with no luck. It is available online used for $69+, but I wasn’t willing to pay that much for it. Unfortunately it is not out on Blu-ray -seemed like it would look amazing due to the trailer/cinematography. After finding a reasonably priced DVD, my husband purchased it as a gift for me (yay me!).


This movie resonated deeply with me on many levels – and I’m not talking about the murder part. Objectively, it was beautifully filmed, I loved the music, it was an interesting story, disturbing yet captivating. Obviously I relate to the character's extreme sense of smell. While mine is strong and I can smell things others can’t, smells hurt & burn me where as they didn’t seem to affect him as such. Even when I like a smell, which is very rare (fresh cut grass, peppermint, lemon, water, dirt), I can only tolerate it for a short period before it starts hurting me.


In the film, when he chose the longer path to Gras that took him up the mountains, the farthest away from society and discovered the cave with no smell, I actually cried. I so often wish I could find such a solace. I’ve read that in the book he stayed there for 7 years, which wasn’t thoroughly portrayed in the movie – you knew from his beard growth he’d been there awhile but I don’t believe they mentioned how long.


This movie was depressing and dark, but I still liked it very much.  The movie made me sad, because I could relate to him (not the murders), and because someone (though fictional) with my same hypersensitivity, ended their sadness by their own hand. Either way, I thought it was a good movie and I am so glad I finally got to see it and obtain a copy.

Movie Review

The other day I watched a movie called Perfect Sense. I saw a preview for it and knew I had to see it since the subject matter is a disease in which you lose your senses. It was an interesting concept, one in which I have to say caused me much wishful thinking.

As I’ve mentioned before the sense that causes me the biggest amount of grief is the sense of smell. In the movie it is how the disease first starts out. Since memory and smell are linked closely together, people start experiencing overwhelming grief as they recall moments of sadness and loss; death, end of friendships, wrongful doings. Then their sense of smell is completely gone. They call it S.O.S. – Severe Olfactory Syndrome. Then it progresses to other emotions followed by the loss of other senses; taste, hearing, sight. Meanwhile the main characters meet and fall in love. The movie follows their story as the world is falling apart. How I wish I had their problem, especially the loss of sense of smell. Loss of taste wouldn’t be so bad either, as I enjoy the taste of food way too much and could stand to lose some weight. Hearing, sight, and touch would truly be a loss because even though they may cause me problems, they are a gift much of the time.

I found this to be a truly thought provoking movie that really hit home and made me wonder what it would be like to not have the sensory issues I do, how the loss of other senses would affect life, how I appreciate my (other) senses.  The two main actors; Ewan McGregor and Eva Green,  acted very well and were believable. The film takes place in Glasgow, Scotland though the disease spreads all over the world. Ewan plays a chef and Eva a scientist. Many of the camera angles were shot in an artful way in which I always notice and appreciate.