Rating of
3/4
Interesting
Franz Patrick - wrote on 10/13/08
I found this movie to be very strange because even though I didn’t completely like it, I have to admit that it’s well-made and daring. The reason why I didn’t buy the whole package is that there’s no reason for the film to run for two hours and thirty minutes. It took too much of its time setting everything up, to the point where I scratched my head and wondered where the story was going (or if it was planning on going anywhere at all). But once it gained its footing about an hour and fifteen minutes into the picture, it was very engaging because it was able to touch the macabre. A lot of the scenes are darkly amusing despite the murders perfomed by Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, brilliantly acted by Ben Wishaw. I’ve been curious about his acting abilities ever since I saw “I’m Not There” so it was nice to see him in this film as the lead and prove himself. The supporting actors such as Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman are great here because their characters are memorable and crucial to the picture. I feel like the two of them made the picture that much more serious and important. I also thought the idea of making a movie about the sense of smell is original; not to mention it has one of the most mysterious endings I’ve seen in a while. So, I must give kudos to the director, Tom Tykwer, who also directed some of the films I loved (”Paris, je t’aime” and “Run, Lola, Run”). However, I must say that some people oversell this flick. It’s a good movie but nothing extraordinary.
