Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer (2006)

Born into dire poverty in 18th century France, an illiterate boy's (Ben Whishaw) amazing olfactory senses enables him to concoct amazing scents and perfumes. But his obsession with preserving scents and an accidental killing starts him on a journey as a notorious serial kill.er Based on the acclaimed 1985 novel by Patrick Suskind, Tom Tykwer's (RUN LOLA RUN) film adaptation may lack the richness of the novel (the boy's contempt for humanity so prominent in the book is barely hinted at in the film) but it's still an accomplished piece of work. It clocks in at 2 1/2 hours but there's not one wasted moment in the film. Tykwer provides a fantastic, almost surreal, hothouse atmosphere for the story to unfold. I suppose one could categorize the film as horror but that seems such a misleading tag for if one goes in expecting a "horror" film, you're bound to be disappointed. Frank Griebe's eloquent cinematography and the magical underscore by Tykwer, Reinhold Heil and Johnny Kilme make major contributions. Co-starring Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman and Rachel Hurd Wood.