Perfume

Not so long ago I saw Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. People often complain that books are better than movies and I must confess, I often agree with that statement but in this particular case I was truly pleasantly surprised. Mind you, the task was not easy and many said that filming Süskind’s novel was actually an impossible task but I think director Tom Tykwer has done a good job. I have taken some screenshots for those interested to take a peek.


Everything was exactly or very close to what I imagined while reading the book, except for the end. I personally think that the very end of the movie could have been executed much better and the main character (Grenouille) is not enough developed. He is far from the book in the matter of appearance. Anyway, for those that are not familiar with the story, I will try to give a brief synopsis. Set in 18th-century France, the entire story follows the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, from the day he was born to the very end. Grenouille had one very interesting talent and that was a superior olfactory sense. He was creating the world’s finest perfumes but that didn’t mean much to him because he was searching for the one particular, ultimate scent, which will eventually lead him to crime. I won’t say anything else. Go, see the movie!





Ben Whishaw plays Grenouille. I must admit, I never saw him before but he was pretty good in this role.



I didn’t have a clue about the cast so seeing Dustin Hoffman as perfumer Baldini and Alan Rickman as loving father was totally surprising and a pleasant experience.





The movie is less brutal than the novel. Picturing scents (which was important considering the story) is executed well. Surely you can’t smell, unless your local cinema came up with some ideas, but there are images, music, atmosphere and all works truly well. Also, the cinematography and costumes are excellent. I think you won’t be disappointed.





The official website Perfume: The Story of a Murderer