Perfume, the Story of a Murderer

Okay, there's strange and then there's uber-strange. You know I have nothing against a little oddness, being a little odd myownself, but... this film takes off into a whole new realm of weird. I think they were aiming for high brow. They missed. I'm thinking a head or two at Dreamworks must have rolled.

Based on a 20 year old international best seller, Das Parfum by Patrick Suskind, Perfume is the story of Jean-Baptiste Granouille, a child of misfortune born in 18th century Paris with an extraordinary sense of smell. Just being in an 18th century city with a sense of smell at all would be a misfortune, but Granouille (Ben Wishaw) pursues olfactory experience with a relish that leads him to become a happy little serial killer. And that's not even the weird part.

A lavish period piece with fine cinematography (you've got to admire when a visual medium actually conjures up smells for you,) with, get this, Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman in supporting roles, now that's got to sound interesting. And although there are moments when the film almost saves itself with some good ol' black humor, I'm afraid the descent, if you'll pardon the pun, into bizarre was too much for me. Check out the equally lavish website, where you can purchase a $700 perfume coffret, here.