Two Ewan McGregor films this year at the Seattle International Film Festival - actually, it was Ewan's year, because there was always a Tribute Day for him on Saturday... If the first one wasn't of my taste, as you have all been able to read in my previous article, this one called PERFECT SENSE was... pretty interesting and powerful - it premiered at Sundance earlier this year.
UK Director David McKenzie is used to festivals and awards - he was even presented as an Emerging Master a few years ago at SIFF -, and this film deserve all the attention it got. It is a love story taking place right before the end of the world. When Susan (the marvelous and dramatically gorgeous Eva Green) discovers with her co-workers that people all around the world have lost their sense of smell after a terrible phase of sadness, she understands that something isn't right. The day after, she meets chef Michael, who offers her a meal in his restaurant - an empty place as people can not smell their food anymore. Suddenly, Susan starts crying, and understands that she won't escape from this terrible disease. Michael takes her home, lies down in bed with her to comfort her, and wakes up with the same feeling of sadness. No one will escape from this, and people slowly starts loosing all their senses : their taste, their hearing capacity, and finally their sight - but before what, they experience an extreme phase of each sense. Michael and Susan fall in love as people try to adapt and go on with their life even though the disease is spreading. They fall in love, knowing that their love might not be strong enough to overcome this apocalypse.
It is a tragic SciFi film - out of the theater, I felt terribly anxious. But it is a wonderful and totally moving piece of art. The actors are brilliant, the editing is absolutely perfect, the use of photos from different cultures, countries and people is clever and constructive, the choice if using Eva Green's voice over is ideal - it puts you in the right mood to understand the world's situation as it is possible for the filmmaker to show us everything in a hour and a half. Of course, it is not easy, it is sad, it is frightening, it is disturbing, but if one is able to go beyond all those feeling, the final acknowledgment is that PERFECT SENSE is a beautiful film.
And you can always wonder what you would do in such a terrible situation - the film's response is : try to modify your view on life and love. Above all : love.
MJ.
