Perfume: The story of a murderer 2006 has a never seen movie experience

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer 2006

Director:  Tom Tykwer

Writer: Andrew Birkin (screenplay), Bernd Eichinger (screenplay) 

Streaming on: Airtel Xstream

One-Line Movie Summary

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with a superior olfactory sense decides to make an ultimate scent, but at what cost?

About: The movie

Perfume: The story of a murderer is a 2006 psychological thriller film.  The film has a budget of €50 million, making it the most expensive German film as in 2006. The movie is based on a 1985 novel of the same name. 

Plot: Perfume The story of a Murderer

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a French orphan living in the slums of eighteenth-century Paris, is both gifted and cursed with an uncannily sharp sense of smell. One smell, in particular, remains mysterious as the young man explores the world and a multitude of primal scents: the fleeting perfume of a woman's body. His search takes a deadly turn, and when the bodies of 12 young females are found, panic breaks out, with families rushing to lock up their daughters.

Movie Discussion

Wow, this is a weird tale with an ending that will most likely turn off 98 percent of audiences who watch this two-hour, 147-minute show. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I completely understand if people are disappointed after seeing it. 

Let me just focus on the first two hours of the show, which I found absolutely interesting, rather than assessing the finale and trying to use spoilers. I doubt I would have found the film so compelling if I hadn't been such a fan of photography, cinematography, and special effects, because the plot is "not for all."

However, the breathtaking French city and countryside landscape, the 18th-century era, and the gorgeous people added to the tale for me. Nonetheless, even without the visual treats, the plot was so unique that it would have kept my attention. 

Ben Wishaw, who plays the lead character "Jean-Baptist Grenouille, has a face that is perfect for this role. His emaciated body, which survived a brutal childhood existence from the moment he was born also makes his character all the more credible. The looks of shock and awe on this man's face throughout the picture also add to his believability. He was mesmerizing with his haunting expressions.

I can't say that this film is without problems, but it's certainly one of the more interesting films of the last few years and does come recommended.