Tom Tykwer's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer follows the 18th century story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man with uncanny and unsurpassed olfactory capabilities, on his quest to concoct the perfect perfume. He can identify any smell and track it across miles of countryside. At the age of 17, in a horrifying and heartbreaking moment, he first experiences the ephemeral nature of smell; then and there he makes a commitment to uncover the secrets of capturing smell. Even human smells, regardless of the cost. The movie climaxes in a spellbinding, unforgettable, unexpected finale that may turn many viewers off, but will also entrance and excite just as many viewers. On display here is bold, unique filmmaking. And it is, without a doubt, worth watching.While Tykwer utilizes a narrator, he never uses it to cheat. He lets scenes play out through restrained acting and subtle pacing; he creates moods with lighting and compositions; he forces us to care for the characters--not by telling us to, but by exposing us to their human side. Technically, the movie works on nearly every level. Yes, the cinematography and editing were crisp and pristine. Yes, the script and performances were right on key. But the movie is more than the sum of its parts. You feel like you can smell what he smells--and feel what he feels--just by watching the screen. That is movie magic.
The movie is not without a few flaws. At 2.5 hours, it's a bit too long, with some unnecessary scenes included and some ambiguous motifs repeteated. Much of the movie is simply uncomfortable to sit through, and the mood of the piece is more reminiscent of David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac) than Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, The International). Still, as I said before, this movie is worth watching. You will not see another movie quite like this one for a long, long time.
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/