Perfect Sense

A seriously bleak little movie, Perfect Sense details the chaos that ensues as individuals all over the world begin losing the use of their five senses (starting with smell) – with the narrative zeroing in on the impact this calamitous event has on an easygoing chef (Ewan McGregor’s Michael) and an ambitious scientist (Eva Green’s Susan). Filmmaker David Mackenzie has infused Perfect Sense with a subdued, deliberately-paced feel that proves an effective complement to Kim Fupz Aakeson’s low-key screenplay, as the emphasis is, for the most part, placed on the ongoing exploits of McGregor and Green’s respective characters (and it’s worth noting that the director offers up a fantastic meet-cute for the pair). And although Mackenzie has peppered the narrative with a number of startlingly cinematic interludes (eg a montage of the virus first taking effect), Perfect Sense suffers from an often unreasonably sluggish midsection that does, on more than one occasion, test the viewer’s patience. (It’s difficult, however, to discount the effectiveness of several key stand-alone sequences, with the film’s highlight an captivating scene in which Michael and Susan reveal their deepest, darkest secrets to one another.) The end result is an impressively downbeat and depressing drama that does, admittedly, pack a palpably (and unexpectedly) emotional punch in its final minutes, yet it’s difficult not to wish that the remainder of the proceedings had been as wrenching and engrossing.

*** out of ****