Perfume, The Story Of A Murderer
Once in a while a movie will come along that epitomizes what
good cinema should all be about. The story, direction, cinema-photography,
acting and production values should all join together to create
a certain something, impossible to analyze, called ‘cinema-magic’.
This is a rare occurrence, but when it does happen the film
is unforgettable. German director Tom Tykwer is probably best
know for his cult classic ‘Run Lola Run’, but
his latest movie ‘Perfume, The Story Of A Murderer’
establishes for him an international mainstream career in
a spectacular manner. Working from a novel by Patrick Suskind,
Tykwer tells the story of an 18th Century French perfumer
who becomes obsessed with distilling the scent or ‘essence’
of life. Unfortunately, his quest has dire consequences for
anyone who crosses his path in his search for the ‘perfume
of paradise’. I don’t want to tell you more about
the movie, as that will spoil its extraordinary plot development
which never gives up, and continually twists and turns in
the most remarkable and engrossing way. At-the-same-time,
the production values of this film are phenomenal. The blurring
of computer-generated locations with studio sets is seamless.
The costumes are sumptuous as required, and both sets and
costumes combine to create a dazzling illusion of a degenerate
18th Century France. Acting honors go to Ben Whishaw, as the
young perfumer, who isn’t required to say much but has
to exhibit a mesmerizing ‘presence’, which he
certainly does! Alan Rickman dispenses with most of his mannerisms
and turns in a creditable performance as a paranoid French
nobleman, while Dustin Hoffman, of all people, delivers a
marvelous performance as an effete perfumer who teaches the
young apprentice the tricks of the trade. All this, however,
pales against Tom Tykwer’s remarkable grasp of his subject
matter. His adaptation of this ‘difficult’ novel,
which is fundamentally concerned with the sense of smell and
is a challenging theme to depict, results in an amazing and
totally enthralling ‘magical-realism’ movie.
The Queen
It has been almost 10 years since the tragic death of Princess
Diana, so it is inevitable that the momentous events surrounding
her funeral should come under scrutiny. British director Stephen
Frears doesn’t present anything ‘new’ in
his movie ‘The Queen’. Most of the material offered
in the movie is on ‘public record’, but, what
is extraordinary about his movie is that it is presented from
the viewpoint of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second.
This is unprecedented. Never before has a living British monarch
been so frankly depicted in a commercial mainstream movie.
Frears’ interpretation of the Queen, during the harrowing
days leading up to Diana’s funeral, is on-the-whole,
sympathetic. Elizabeth is depicted as coming from a bygone
era, where the pomp and circumstances of her elevated position
have no bearing on modern, contemporary life. Through the
unparalleled public response to the Queen’s supposedly
cold reaction to Diana’s death, Elizabeth is dragged
kicking into the late 20th Century. But, she does display
the intelligence to understand that there are moments when
it is best to bow to public pressure for the security of the
monarchy. Even though Elizabeth emerges from this movie with
her crown still firmly intact, other members of the Royal
Family do not fare so well. The Queen Mother is depicted as
a demented geriatric lost in gaga land. Prince Phillip thinks
everything can be solved with a jolly good deer hunt, while
Prince Charles is a raving loony terrified of his mother.
Tony Blair comes across as a political opportunist, ever sensitive
to a patriotic ‘sound-bite’ and complimentary
headline. However, the strength of this movie rests in the
strength of the actress playing the Queen. In this role Dame
Helen Mirren is outstanding. Not only does she bear a remarkable
resemblance to the Queen (there are moments when you feel
you are actually watching the Queen herself), but Dame Helen
creates a character that is convincing. None of us can claim
to ‘know’ the Queen, but Dame Helen’s portrayal
is familiar in a way we recognize and ‘wish’ the
Queen to be. Dame Helen implies the Queen’s humility
and imperiousness in unison. Much of the success of this movie
is due to Dame Helen’s astonishing representation of
the Queen. European and American audiences are probably not
going to be as enamored as the rest of the Western World with
this movie, but, for members of the British Commonwealth,
for who the Queen is part of their cultural heritage whether
they like it or not, those audiences are going to be fascinated
by this thought provoking and controversial film.
The Departed
Martin Scorsese, at the age of 64, is regarded as a master
American cinema director. Films such as ‘Mean Streets’,
‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘Goodfellas’
cemented his reputation as an innovator. However, there comes
a time in every artist’s career when inventiveness gives
way to technique. Sadly, this is the case with Martin Scorsese’s
latest movie ‘The Departed’. Many American critics
will not agree with me, for they are claiming this work as
a ‘masterpiece’, yet, I found the movie lacking
in inspiration. The story deals with a ‘deep’
undercover agent infiltrating his way into a Boston Irish
mafia gang to try to discover a police officer working for
the mob. The trouble with the movie is that it lacks suspense
and tension, as we know who the protagonists are from the
start. We simply go through the motions of watching the movie
slowly unfold to its long suspected finale. Granted, there
are some stunning set pieces as the leading characters come
closer to discovering their quarries, and Jack Nicholson,
Leonardo Dicaprio and Matt Damon all give strong performances.
But, does some flamboyant acting and some snappy production
values really make for an absorbing movie?
John Tucker Must Die
I can’t be bothered with this inane romantic-comedy
for teenage girls, so I am going to quote directly from the
DVD cover: “John Tucker Must Die revolves around four
girls from different social groups who band together to seek
revenge on their school’s resident stud who has broken
their hearts”. I have nothing further to add except
that the movie is undiluted idiotic drivel.
