Review of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) by A B — 15 Nov 2014

I was away at sea when PERFUME : THE STORY OF A MURDERER came out. Otherwise a premise this fascinating would have not escaped me. An unusual story of obsession, PERFUME is at once a thrilling murder mystery of the when-will-the-killer-get-caught variety and a period piece full of little exciting details that keep you glued to the screen.

So in essence it is both sick and impossible to resist. I am not the kind who enjoys watching the pathology of a murderer unravel, (and in this case PERFUME is very much akin to SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, both exceptionally well made films) but PERFUME is so disturbingly solid, evoking what we imagine to be a time and place, to the extent that we feel that we ourselves are caught within its inevitable tragedy.

Although Hoffman is unfortunately miscast, Ben Whishaw is menacing to perfection and Alan Rickman, as always, is pitch perfect.