So, I went to see Perfume, the Story of a Murderer last night.

I thought the book was amazing and had no idea how they would bring it to the screen. It was going to either be crap or brilliant. Well having seen it I think it is generally brilliantly done with a few bits of crap thrown in.

Visually stunning I thought Ben Whishaw was fabulous but there were far too many close-ups of his conk. We get it Tom! It’s a film about smells we don’t have to go up his nostrils too much. The first scenes in the Paris fish market were delightfully disgusting and elicited a few squeaks from the audience. Dustin Hoffman played Baldini, the has-been perfumier, who teaches Grenuoille his trade. Now, I love Dustin, (have done since my first date took me to see The Graduate and he still has that killer grin), but I just feel he went too far down the comic relief route and had an accent that veered through several continents (especially as everybody else spoke English!)

Rachel Hurd-Wood didn’t have a lot to do except look a bit willfully beautiful which she did admirably. Alan Rickman played her protective father, bewigged and suitably stern, he was the one voice of reason behaving like an 18th century Taggart trying to get in the murderer’s mind (Did they do that in the 18th century?)

So, we then get to the big finale where things get a bit surreal (viewers who don’t wish to see the final score, please look away now). Grenouille wafts his perfume soaked Kleenex around just before the execution and the next thing we know the executioner is on his knees begging forgiveness. Then the whole crowd are stripping off embracing and begin to make love.

So, this is all in the book but somehow this is all a bit touchy-feely and tasteful not the shag-athon that the book described. I also feel that Grenouille’s demise in Paris was a bit of a cop-out, just a few scraps of blue cloth lying in the mud.
So, a beautifully made film, some great acting and pretty true to the book but with a few additions that didn’t sit quite so well.

So, I didn’t mention that I went up to Kilburn, London to see this at a special charity showing. Originally, I had no intention of attending and was just going to see it at my local cinema. Well, first off my local cinema isn’t showing it, and then a friend who lives on the South side of London said she’d like to go to Kilburn so I decided to travel with her and meet the redoubtable L at Kilburn.

I only booked the tickets on Saturday and the guy on the phone said he had three tickets in the back row or three tickets in the front row! I think that’s what’s known as a “no-brainer”.

So, A and I travelled up and got to Kilburn much earlier than our arranged meeting with L and so we went on to the Tricycle Theatre which is very impressive and I had something to eat in the bar. Then L came, so had the statutory glass of wine which led to the statutory trip to the loo in the middle of the film. As soon at the end credits started L whispered that she need the loo too (winkythedrunk understands!). I told her to go then as the credits would take ages. She duly scurried off then scurried back to inform us that “he” was standing outside the ladies waiting as she went in and that now “he” was at the back of the cinema! LOL

So, Alan Rickman came down with the theatre director whose name I can’t recall and they sat on the stage right in front of us which was nice for A as this was her first official Rickman “moment”!! Lots of questions were asked from the floor (including the obligatory couple of loony ones). I suppose the whole Q&A took about 30-40 mins.

A few questions I can recall randomly were from a 15 year old who asked if he liked working with teenagers eg Rachel and the HP cast. He said something about nor feeling any different from them inside and it was only when he looked in the mirror he got a shock.

Somebody asked about retirement but he said No, that there must be parts in a wheelchair for him if necessary.

An American woman brought up Rachel Corrie and asked that as it was cancelled in Toronto would he be going to Seatle with it. He was pretty non-committal and said something about having work commitments then.

Somebody brought up the usual stuff about working in Hollywood and he said he hadn’t done that much Hollywood stuff but he had done one last year that he thought was very funny but who knows when we’ll see that as it was a small indy film and that Hollywood was a “Holy Trinity” – the movie, the popcorn and CocaCola and that sometimes the last two were more important than the movie.

So, I can’t remember much more at the moment. I have been to two or three of these things in the past and I would say that this one, for me, was the most enjoyable and he seemed the most relaxed at.

OK, I know I am not going to get away without a fashion statement. He was wearing dark blue jeans, a dark t-shirt with a zipped up black sweater over the top and a black jacket over that. Hair was quite long and very grey. He looked much better in the flesh than any of the pics that I have seen from last night have portrayed him. I think it's time we went up to his attic to check for a picture!

I was hoping to take a photo right at the end but they were up and off the stage before we had a chance to even turn the camera on. When we got into the foyer L spotted him talking to a few people so I got my camera out but he kept moving off and I missed most chances. I always feel a bit awkward about snapping away and by the time I make the decision it’s too late. Anyway A got her copy of Perfume signed by him and was highly delighted. I’m past autographs now so just took the opportunity of thanking him for coming for the evening and that I loved the film. I got “Well no, thank you for coming.” Ha! He knows how to treat a girl doesn’t he? LOL

We had a train to catch so had to shoot off but I did hear somebody calling a very attractive dark haired girl Lex so I asked if she was Lex who had a LJ and we had a quick chat, nice to meet you Lex!

With that we were out into the night whereupon we noticed Alan, Rima and the theatre guy walking in front of us they then crossed the road and disappeared into a tandoori restaurant.

So a great night out and a lot of fun for the three of us.



The photos I took are pure crap but when I looked at them again I quite like the blurriness (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!) so I have put them up anyway:














This is the only one I had put the flash on. The crazed blonde behind him in this one is L who I didn't realise was trying to get into all the pictures and look as goofy as possible! Congratulations! It worked!

Tags: films, review, rickman