The mark of a solid independent film is whether it leaves you thinking long after you have seen it. You know what I’m talking about—the films where you’re not sure what you just saw after the lights go up and you walk out of the theater; the films that leave you conversing with a friend, questioning what the purpose was and what it all means; the films that make you want to go back to a college comparative literature course and have a discussion about symbolism. Those kinds of films.Perfect Sensefits that bill.
Susan (Eva Green) is an epidemiologist who is studying a sudden epidemic that is robbing people of their senses. The virus is spreading rapidly throughout the world with no known cause. As it spreads, it slowly robs all who are affected of various senses and causes victims to act out in anger, rage, and grief. In the midst of this outbreak, Susan meets Michael (Ewan McGregor), a chef who works at a restaurant across the street from her apartment. Michael is the quintessential playboy who literally has sex with women and puts them out of the bed as soon as the deed is done. To say that he is unattached would be an understatement.
Upon meeting, Michael and Susan are immediately caught up in an intense romance. The panic and the chaos in the world fuel their passion. They are drawn to each other and have an intense need to connect physically and emotionally in an effort to block out all of the madness that surrounds them. In their connection, in their bubble, all that matters is Michael and Susan.
Director David MacKenzie does a fine job of building the tension and taking viewers into the madness of a world that slowly loses all of its senses. At the same time, he tells a believable story of two people who find each other and love where they had not been looking before.Perfect Senseis at times humorous, at times touching, and without a doubt depressing. With that being said, when I finished the film, I was left pondering about the meaning of life and wishing I had a lit class to discuss the movie with.
