«Perfume: The Story of a Murderer» - Movie Review by Kinoafisha

Patrick Süskind once wrote a novel called "Perfume," which has, to this day, been recognized as the most famous German-language novel since Remarque. "Perfume" has been wanted for adaptation multiple times, with famous directors like Stanley Kubrick, Tim Burton, Milos Forman, and Ridley Scott eyeing the director's chair. However, Süskind entrusted his work only to his friend, producer Bernd Eichinger. And in my opinion, there is no reason to quarrel with a friend: the film is mind-blowing, the cast is endlessly delightful, and the story is delivered to the audience without any distortions.

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw) is the only surviving child out of five, having lost his mother to the gallows upon his birth. Other children sensed something dreadful in him and even tried to kill him, but he survived despite all life-threatening dangers. As he grew older, he began to notice his peculiar ability - he could smell every scent in the city, accurately identifying each note of perfume. The realm of scents enveloped him, and the language of aromas became more extensive for him than spoken words.

Since people shunned Grenouille, he never experienced love. Somewhat resembling a mentally deficient individual, he dwelled in his own unique world and, just like any person, sought the meaning of life. But unlike a recent graduate from the humanities faculty, he quickly realized his main talent and began to develop it. To do so, he became an assistant to the renowned Parisian perfumer, Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), and acquired a multitude of knowledge. When that proved to be insufficient, he ventured further, seeking out people who were familiar with the best techniques for preserving scents. Why did he want to preserve scents? It was all for a seemingly "innocent" hobby - he chose women whose scent attracted him, killed them, and through certain manipulations, created perfumes with their fragrance.

Naturally, a mass murder of beautiful young women does not go unnoticed, and the search for the serial killer begins. But Batista is driven by an important goal - to create his own fragrance based on the best scents, so that people will finally love him and stop avoiding him. The amusing part is that Grenouille lived for decades before realizing that he himself has no scent at all. The narrative is presented in a pseudo-historical style, with a voiceover telling the story as if it were a real event. This makes observing Batista's activities particularly fascinating and chilling at the same time.

But one doesn't have to be a maniac to admire Grenouille's work. He is, first and foremost, an artist, and his genius borders on madness, which is quite a common phenomenon. The mesmerizing brewing process that we witness on screen blurs the line between beauty and repulsiveness. The main character does not elicit simple hatred or complete understanding; moreover, his unwavering commitment to his goal is truly admirable! If he had experienced romantic love, if someone had raised and acquainted him with ethical norms, he would have simply become a brilliant perfumer, without any association with the work of a killer.

Despite the intentional effect of pseudo-historicism, this film is far from tedious. It is interesting to watch. The ending is unpredictable, or rather, you don't even attempt to guess how it will all conclude. The spectacle captivates, and the level of shock increases as the plot unfolds, ultimately delivering a final blow. Since this is a rare case of a truly unique story, avoiding popular archetypes and character/storyline models, there is no question about watching this film.

I wouldn't recommend it to overly sensitive individuals, though. Realism is clearly the director's preferred style, which is why some scenes (such as the birth of a child, umbilical cord cutting, and throwing the infant into a pile of fish) may seep into the subconscious and periodically resurface, causing shudders.

If you love good cinema, original stories, and beautiful (sometimes shocking) visuals, but for some reason haven't watched "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" yet, now is the perfect time to do so. Especially since you will also see the wonderful Alan Rickman, which is also a hallmark of the film's quality.