Perfect Sense (2011)

This week we hit the midway point in our A-to-Z Part Deux challenge with the letter “M”. For the letter “M” we have Max Richter (Composer). The movie he composed the score for that we are looking at today is…Perfect Sense (2011).

Title: Perfect Sense

Director: David Mackenzie

Released: January 24, 2011 (Sundance)

Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes

Available to stream on: Tubi and Kanopy

Michael (Ewan McGregor) is a chef at a busy upscale restaurant. One day, when stepping out back on break, Michael bums a smoke from Susan (Eva Green), who lives in a flat adjacent to the restaurant.

Susan works as an epidemiologist. She is currently investigating a new epidemic that is causing people to lose their sense of smell. Before the sense of smell goes, people are overcome with grief. When the grief subsides is when one realizes so is their sense of smell. But it gets worse. Every memory that you have that is in any way linked to a specific smell, well those memories begin to vanish as well.

Being that Michael works so close to where Susan lives, they begin chatting as they see each other before eventually becoming involved with one another. They are very cautious and try not to be the reason the other becomes infected. One night, in the kitchen of Michael’s restaurant, Susan bursts into tears. Later, while consoling her in bed, Michael too breaks down. Cut to the next morning and neither one of them has their sense of smell anymore.

Meanwhile, the epidemic continues to evolve. After the sense of smell, next up is the sense of taste. Like before, there are warning signs. A sudden onset of anxiety followed by insatiable hunger. Once the hunger fades, you realize you no longer have the sense of taste.

As quarantines take effect, Michael and Susan realize that they’re in this together until the end, whatever that might be. They, along with the rest of society, begin to adapt to life without certain senses.

But there is only one problem with that.

What happens when you run out of senses to lose?

As someone who considers themselves a fan of both Ewan McGregor and Eva Green, I really wanted to like Perfect Sense (2011). If we are only going to look at Max Richter and his score, then yes, I really liked Perfect Sense (2011). In fact, his score is arguably the best part of the movie. Consistently good from beginning to end.

However, the same cannot be said for the movie itself.

Watching this through 2023 eyes is pretty wild. An epidemic that results in the loss of smell? Hits a little close to home, eh?

The idea of losing all of your senses, one by one, and not knowing when it’ll happen until you randomly succumb to the odd behaviors that occur right before the sense goes, that’s absolutely terrifying. There is a thriller movie for the ages in there somewhere that I was so hoping we’d lean hard into. Instead, we got a half thought-out love story thrown onto us.

We are expected to be invested in the relationship of Susan and Michael but aren’t given nearly enough to want to be invested in them as individuals, let alone a couple. I’m not saying I wouldn’t be here for that story. Ewan and Eva had good chemistry, yeah, let’s explore that more. But don’t try and force that story into the epidemic story and have it be the focal point.

Perfect Sense (2011) needed to decide what type of movie it wanted to be. Unfortunately, we weren’t given enough substance or time to warrant combining the epidemic thriller with the love story. Extra half a star for Max Richter’s work.

Have you seen Perfect Sense (2011)? What did you think of it? Tell me in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

Well, there you have it. Thirteen letters down and thirteen left to go. Next week we’ll have the letter “N”. Want to get a sneak peek at who the crew member will be and what movie of theirs we’ll review? Keep an eye on Threads, Instagram, and if you’re over there…Bluesky, this Wednesday.