Rarely does a film come along that tries to challenge the accepted way of approaching narrative or character, generally the accepted ways are upheld, but in Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of the 1985 novel Perfume he tries something as yet much untested in cinema, telling a visual story through the ideas of smell. The story is a dark fairy tale set in 17th century France, concerning the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man born with an extraordinary sense of smell. As he grows this talent consumes him, his callous nature forming from the hard life he is forced to grow up with, and his growing obsession over being able to capture and preserve the variety of smells he is able to distinguish and catalogue. Needless to say the film descends into darkness as Grenouille discovers his true talents but Tykwer keeps the dark humour flowing throughout; take note of the untimely end that befalls all those Grenouille leaves the company of. There is also a seeming lack of interest in the murders themselves, the focus is on Grenouille and unlike many serial killers he does not do it for the pleasure of the kill or the power, he is commanded by his gift, seeing his victims as stepping stones on his way to achieve greatness, a greatness that ultimately will betray him.
Visually the film is spectacular, 17th century Europe is perfectly recreated, and the filth and muck equally so, Tykwer masterfully fills the screen with the objects Grenouille senses, and in doing so prompts the audience’s imagination into it as well. It is a bizarre and slightly unnerving feeling, much of the film is spent focusing on Grenouille’s reaction and the sensuous nature of smells are fully realised here. The film is a tad long however and episodic, but despite the awfulness of Grenouille’s character you can’t help but empathise with him. He is a pathetic and lost man who is outcast from society, and it’s a testament to both the performance and the direction that despite his evil deeds, we route for him to continue, in order that we may see the ultimate rewards of his efforts.
The film features generally great performances from a lot of relative unknowns; Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman lend some experience, though the proliferation of British accents can be distracting, it hardly takes way from the story.
Ultimately what will divide audiences the most is the films ending; it embraces the fantastical nature of the premise and is evoked through an almost dreamlike and surreal series of events. Faithful to the book the events that unfold may be too much for those who have been grounded by some of the films more realistic elements, the knowledge that this is a dark almost Grimm-like fairytale is necessary if you are not to be thrown by the final 15 minutes. If you can get over this and embrace the film for what it is tough then you are left with an ultimately tragic and haunting tale about humanity and love, but one that is unlike any film you may have seen before and that is not afraid to take risks. Recommended to those seeking something a bit different, and those with strong stomachs and a penchant for thinking outside the conventions of typical narrative.
A visual treat and a success at translating olfactory pleasures to the big screen. While some may be thrown by the final third this is an unusual yet captivating film that tells a unique tale without bowing to conventional narrative.
To round off the year I think I just about have time for one last film review, moving to this new format of the blog has made it a lot easier for me to put up reviews and with the decision not just to review films from the cinema I have a lot more material to write about than before. Of course this does mean that I still probably see two films for every one review I write but I will try to correct that next year even if it means slightly short but more frequent reviews, I think it would be nice to build up a picture of my film viewing for the entire year and next year is one where I hope to catch up on a lot of older classic films that I painfully admit I have never seen before, so it should be a healthy mix of the old and new.
I am Legend is the third filmic adaptation of Richard Matheson’s classic 1954 novel of the same name, the plot as you are probably aware concerns Robert Neville (Will Smith) the last survivor of a deadly virus living in New York City, which has become desolate and overgrown. But as he desperately searches for a cure and to maintain his sanity it becomes clear that he is far from alone in the city. To reveal much more would be a shame as I went into the film knowing very little and it made the experience much richer to come to it cold. One of the first things to mention with the film is Will Smith, over the years I have constantly been impressed by his performances, making the usually awkward transition from comedy to serious drama look easy and for generally even outside the movies coming across as one of the most decent and likeable people you could hope to meet. Here he impresses once again, and it’s no mean feat given that he has to carry the entire film on his shoulders, Smith is in almost every shot of the film and for 90% of the running time has no co-star but his faithful dog. Yet he keeps Neville an engaging and real character, flawed and struggling with keeping up his day to day routine, so much that he becomes fascinating to watch.
Some may find the early pace of the film slow but I thought it was a brilliant decision to spend the time building a picture of this man’s world and how he has come to cope with a seemingly hopeless situation. Another brave decision was also not to downplay the mental instability that comes with extreme isolation and there is a great pathos and sadness in the fake conversations Smith has with the various mannequins he has set up around the city to simulate human contact.
However once the second half of the film kicks in it switches up a couple of gears and the action and scares come more frequently. Don’t get me wrong, this is a pretty scary film in places and director Francis Lawrence expertly cranks up the tension in several scenes, the quiet nature of the beginning help offset the shocks that come later and there is a feeling of dread always lurking in the background unseen. In fact one of the films only flaws is that it lets this menace be seen and though some of the CG work is good is still looks rather fake and is a bit of a let down in places, being far too cartoony and feels a tad disjointed from the reality established early on.
Still at the end of the day this is a very solid and surprisingly deep and sombre character piece that still manages to entertain but that makes a potent effort at digging below the surface and putting us in the shoes of an engaging protagonist. A welcome change and definitely a film worth checking out on the big screen for the spectacle and the experience.
Will Smith cements his status as one of the biggest stars on the planet with this accomplished and moving ode to loneliness and humanity. Big issues for a blockbuster but they are tackled well, and the pondering never gets in the way of the action when it kicks in. Just a few less CG monsters next time and you’re all set.
