The Five Senses (1999)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Jeremy Podeswa

Writer:

Jeremy Podeswa (written by)

Release Date:

3 December 1999 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Nothing can cure the soul but the senses. -- Oscar Wilde

Plot:

Interconnected stories examine situations involving the five senses. Touch is represented by a massage therapist who is treating a woman...

Plot Keywords:

Cake | House Cleaner | Italian | Voyeur | Sex

Awards:

4 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Molly Parker	...	Anna Miller
Gabrielle Rose	...	Ruth Seraph
Elize Frances Stolk	...	Amy Lee Miller
Nadia Litz	...	Rachel Seraph
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Rona
Daniel MacIvor	...	Robert
Philippe Volter	...	Dr. Richard Jacob
Clinton Walker	...	Carl
Astrid Van Wieren	...	Richard's Patient
Brendan Fletcher	...	Rupert
Paul Bettis	...	Richard's Doctor
James Allodi	...	Justin
Gavin Crawford	...	Airport Clerk
Sandi Stahlbrand	...	TV Reporter #1
Amanda Soha	...	Sylvie
Gisèle Rousseau	...	Odile (as Gisele Rousseau)
Damon D'Oliveira	...	Todd
Marco Leonardi	...	Roberto 'Luigi'
Sonia Laplante	...	Monica, Girl with Roberto
Janet van de Graaf	...	Policewoman (as Janet Van De Graaff)
Paul Soles	...	Mr. Bernstein
Tara Rosling	...	Rebecca
Richard Clarkin	...	Raymond
Clare Coulter	...	Clare
Roman Podhora	...	Policeman #1
Shaun O'Mara	...	Park Cruiser
Glen Peloso	...	Park Cruiser
Pascale Bussières	...	Gail
Tracy Wright	...	Alex
Darren O'Donnell	...	Medic
Greg Ellwand	...	Policeman #2
Ola Sturik	...	TV Reporter #2
Daniel Taylor	...	Singer

Directed by
Jeremy Podeswa

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jeremy Podeswa		written by

Produced by
Shimmy Brandes	....	associate producer
Ted East	....	executive producer
Camelia Frieberg	....	producer
David R. Ginsburg	....	executive producer
Charlotte Mickie	....	executive producer
Dean Perlmutter	....	line producer: pre-production
Jeremy Podeswa	....	producer
Regine Schmid	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Wolfram Tichy	....	co-executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Alexina Louie
Alex Pauk

Cinematography by
Gregory Middleton

Film Editing by
Wiebke von Carolsfeld		(as Wiebke Von Carolsfeld)

Production Design by
Taavo Soodor

Art Direction by
James Phillips		(as R. James Phillips)

Set Decoration by
Darryl Dennis Deegan
Erica Milo

Costume Design by
Gersha Phillips

Makeup Department
Sylvain Cournoyer	....	key makeup artist
Debra Johnson	....	key hair stylist
Mary Monforte	....	assistant makeup artist
Jeanette Stawiarski	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Brian Freeman	....	executive in charge of production: CBC
Paul Spike Lees	....	production manager
Marlene Rodgers	....	executive in charge of production: CBC (as Marlene Rogers)
Nina Sparks	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bryn Caron	....	third assistant director
Miguel Gallego	....	second assistant director
Trent Hurry	....	first assistant director
David C. Malcolm	....	trainee assistant director (as David Malcolm)
Ed Sinclair	....	second unit director

Art Department
Rudy Braun	....	second assistant art director
Hamish Buchanan	....	graphics
Larry Burkam	....	set dresser
Erik Jacobsen	....	set dresser
Vanessa Le Page	....	cake maker: Rona's cake (as Vanessa Lepage)
Anita Marcotte	....	cake maker: Rona's cake
Mário Moreira	....	assistant property master
James R. Murray	....	property master (as James Murray)
Jim Paterson	....	cake maker: Rona's cake
Chris Stevenson	....	set dresser
Abbie Weinberg	....	property assistant

Sound Department
Eric Apps	....	adr recordist
Terry Burke	....	foley artist
Ray Campbell	....	assistant sound effects editor
Joseph Henoud	....	sound: second unit
Richard Hurst	....	boom operator
Janice Ierulli	....	dialogue editor
Martin Gwynn Jones	....	trainee sound editor
Garrett Kerr	....	sound effects editor
Mishann Lau	....	assistant dialogue editor
Martin Lee	....	re-recording engineer
Kirk Lynds	....	sound re-recording assistant
Kim Meadows	....	boom operator
Jennifer Miller	....	foley assistant
Angie Pajek	....	adr editor (as E. Angie Pajek)
Ian Rankin	....	foley recordist
Lou Solakofski	....	re-recording engineer
Philip Stall	....	sound recordist
Pamela Ward	....	boom operator
David Yonson	....	adr recordist
Ed Douglas	....	additional dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Tim Good	....	special effects coordinator
Darren Marsman	....	special effects key

Camera and Electrical Department
Sandor Ajzenstat	....	grip
Terry Banting	....	gaffer (as Terry J. Banting)
Richard Belleville	....	electrician (as Rick Belleville)
Simon Brown	....	second assistant camera
Robert Campbell	....	daily electrician
Dennis de Souza	....	daily electrician (as Dennis De Souza)
Johnnie Eisen	....	still photographer
Dave Erlichman	....	key grip (as David Erlichman)
Cinar Eryasar	....	electrician
David Findlay	....	camera operator: second unit
Rick Gallagher	....	video playback operator
Edward Garkavi	....	best boy electric
Monica Guddat	....	first assistant camera
Michael L. Hall	....	daily electrician
Todd Moores	....	grip
Wayne Robinson	....	dolly grip
Simon Shohet	....	daily electrician
Michael Tsouras	....	camera trainee
Andreas Waldherr	....	best boy grip
Hugh Young	....	generator operator

Casting Department
John Buchan	....	casting: Toronto
Jennifer Capraru	....	secondary casting
Bradley A. Flett	....	extras casting (as Brad Flett)
Juliette Ménager	....	casting: France (as Juliette Menager)
Adrienne Stern	....	casting: New York
Julia Tait	....	casting: Toronto

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandra Schmidt	....	assistant costume designer
Adrienne Tyson	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Diane Brunjes	....	trainee assistant editor
Roderick Deogrades	....	first assistant editor
Chris Hinton	....	color timer
Andrew Mandziuk	....	on-line editor
Colin Moore	....	video colorist
Ed Sinclair	....	editor: second unit

Music Department
Anne Armstrong	....	musician: violin
Erica Goodman	....	musician: harp
Tom Hazlitt	....	musician: bass
Fujiko Imajishi	....	musician: violin
Stuart Laughton	....	musician: trumpet
Matt Lebar	....	musician: accordion
Christine Little	....	musician: alto flute
Blair Mackay	....	musician: percussion
Alex Pauk	....	conductor: Esprit orchestra
Douglas Perry	....	musician: viola
Paul Widner	....	musician: cello
Jeff Wolpert	....	music engineer
Jeff Wolpert	....	music mixer
Lesley Young	....	musician: oboe

Transportation Department
Aleck Duncan	....	driver
Jason Fagan	....	driver
Tim Fagan	....	transportation coordinator
Carlo Flinn	....	driver
Howard Holden	....	driver
Paul Hughes	....	driver
Glenn Douglas Koyanagi	....	driver
Brian Marwick	....	driver
Dave Marwick	....	driver
Minon White	....	driver
Mike Wood	....	driver

Other crew
Michael Achtman	....	script workshop participant
Coralie Brady	....	assistant location manager (as Coralie Nott)
Max Burke-Phillips	....	production coordinator
William Cameron	....	title designer
Anthony Carovillano	....	craft service: Starcraft
David Collins	....	production assistant: second unit
Bradd Cowan	....	location assistant
Prudence Emery	....	unit publicist
Diane Flacks	....	script workshop participant
Dylan Fuhr	....	location assistant
David Gale	....	script workshop participant
Caroline Gillis	....	script workshop participant
Shirley Granger	....	accountant
Eliza Haddad	....	producer: second unit
Kim Harkness	....	production assistant
Matti Huhta	....	script supervisor
Sarah Hurdleby	....	craft service: Starcraft
Ian Jarvis	....	production assistant: second unit
Kirsten Johnson	....	script workshop participant
Cory Kinney	....	location manager
Lacia Kornylo	....	head of production: Alliance Atlantis
Martyn Krys	....	production lawyer
Peter Lynch	....	script workshop participant
Daniel MacIvor	....	story editor
Ruth Marshall	....	script workshop participant
Noeleen McCann	....	consultant: sign language
Sheona McDonald	....	script supervisor
Kelly McEvenue	....	script workshop facilitator
Erin McMurty	....	script workshop participant
Julia Nathanson	....	assistant production coordinator
Peter Olczak	....	craft service: Starcraft
James O'Reilly	....	script workshop participant
Alisa Palmer	....	script workshop participant
Julius Podeswa	....	painter: Clare's paintings
Marcel Proust	....	author: excerpt from "Remembrance of Things Past"
Fiji Robinson	....	assistant to director
Andrew Rosen	....	production assistant: Alliance Atlantis
Lillian Sarafinchan	....	location scout
Judy Shiner	....	script workshop facilitator
Geeta Sondhi	....	assistant to producer
Ingrid Veninger	....	child acting coach
Jay Vettese	....	production assistant
Clinton Walker	....	script workshop participant
Alicia Wicinski	....	assistant to production manager (as Alicja Wicinski)
Chris Williamson	....	assistant to director
Chris Williamson	....	cast coordinator
Andrea Wood	....	business and legal affairs: Alliance Atlantis
Paul Zimic	....	production assistant

Thanks
Allison Anders	....	special thanks
Lynn Auerbach	....	special thanks: Sundance
Robyn Basian	....	thanks
Brenda Blake	....	special thanks: Fund
Fred Brennan	....	thanks
Amnon Buchbinder	....	special thanks
Robert Caswell	....	special thanks
Paul Cox	....	thanks
Doug Dales	....	thanks: P.S. Production Services
Tom Deacon	....	thanks
Lisa deWilde	....	special thanks: TMN (as Lisa De Wilde)
Ed Douglas	....	thanks
Atom Egoyan	....	special thanks
Richard Feren	....	thanks
Thom Fitzgerald	....	special thanks
Jill Fraser	....	thanks
John Fulton	....	special thanks: Telefilm
Elinor Rose Galbraith	....	thanks (as Elinor Galbraith)
Teddy Gentry	....	thanks (as Theodore Gentry)
John Greyson	....	special thanks
Nicole Guillemet	....	special thanks: Sundance
Marjorie Haynes	....	thanks
Bill House	....	special thanks: Telefilm
Guntar Kravis	....	thanks
Mitch Lackie	....	thanks
Tony Lee	....	thanks
Paul Lyptak	....	thanks
Wendy MacKeigan	....	special thanks: Fund
Armistead Maupin	....	special thanks
Steve Mayhew	....	thanks: Casblanca Sound & Picture Co.
Adrienne Mitchell	....	special thanks
Jim Paterson	....	thanks
Boyd Pelley	....	thanks
Howard Porter	....	thanks
Donna Radik	....	special thanks: Telefilm
Vince Riverso	....	thanks
Patricia Rozema	....	special thanks
Michelle Satter	....	special thanks: Sundance
Regine Schmid	....	special thanks: TiMe
Tad Seaborn	....	thanks
Susan Shilliday	....	special thanks
Susan Shipton	....	special thanks
Ed Sinclair	....	special thanks
Kathryn Smith	....	special thanks: TMN (as Kathryn A. Smith)
Johanna ter Steege	....	thanks
Dana Stevens	....	special thanks
Colin Strayer	....	thanks
Louise Tenenbaum	....	special thanks: Telefilm
Wolfram Tichy	....	special thanks: TiMe
R.M. Vaughn	....	special thanks
Jason Wodlinger	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Alliance Atlantis Communications (as Alliance Atlantis Pictures)
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)
• Canadian Television (CTV)
• Five Senses Productions
• Harold Greenberg Fund, The
• Movie Network, The (TMN)
• Téléfilm Canada

Distributors

• Cinemien (1999) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2000) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Communications (non-USA)
• Angel Films (Scandinavia)
• Argentina Video Home (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Arthaus (Norway)
• Aurum Producciones (Spain)
• CMV Laservision (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Cannes Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Cannes Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Eurocine (Argentina)
• Eurocine (Chile)
• Eurocine (Paraguay)
• Eurocine (Uruguay)
• Fine Line Features (2000) (USA)
• First Distributors (Hong Kong)
• Homescreen (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• ID Distribution (France)
• Keyfilms Roma (Italy)
• Momentum Pictures (1999) (UK) (all media)
• Myndform (Iceland)
• New Line Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Nu Vision (Mexico)
• Shani Films (Israel)

Special Effects

• Good FX

Other Companies

• AON/Ruben-Winkler Entertainment Insurance  insurance
• Berlitz  thanks
• Canada Camera Car  thanks
• Canada Council Media Arts  developed with the assistance of
• Casablanca Sound and Picture  re-recording facility
• Casablanca Sound and Picture  thanks
• Codes Film & Video Inc.  thanks
• Entertainment Insurance  insurance
• Fabiola Banzi Casting  casting: Italy
• Fearless Film and Video Corporation, The  picture editing facilities
• Film Effects  title opticals
• Film Opticals  titles
• Francont Film  negative cutting
• Hot Knives  catering
• Innova Medical Opthalmics  thanks
• Joule Studio  casting: France
• Kinograph Inc.  subtitle design
• Magnetic North, The  film transfer facility
• McClear Pathé  music recording facility
• Orbit Room  catering
• P.S. Production Services  thanks
• PS Production Services  production equipment
• Rotterdam Cinemart, The  thanks
• Second Skin Rubber Products  thanks
• Shoots Catering  catering
• Starcraft Services  craft services
• Sundance Institute, The  developed with the assistance of
• Tattersall Sound  sound editing facilities
• The I.F.F.M. No Borders Program  thanks
• Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. (TSNL)  thanks
• Toronto Sun  thanks
• Trinity Square Video  thanks
• V-Tape  thanks

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and language.

Runtime:

Argentina:106 min | USA:106 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

French | English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:16 | Taiwan:R-12 | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Quotes:

Robert: [about a new cologne he has just received as a gift] It smells like love.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Past Perfect (2002)

Soundtrack:

COME TO MY WINDOW

a true work of art

In movies, as in most other art forms, the greatest of works often come in the smallest of packages. Such is the case with `The Five Senses,' an independent Canadian production that chooses for its subject nothing less profound than a meditation on what it means to be human. Writer/director Jeremy Podeswa has fashioned a work of great poetic form and insight centered around a group of people who share the universal need to find true love and acceptance in a world where wounded and shattered relationships all too often result in magnified loneliness and despair. Like all of us, each of these characters gropes towards the dual goals of intimacy with others and acceptance of oneself that are essential for human happiness. Some succeed, while others fail – just as in life – but none of the characters is left unchanged by the experience.

`The Five Senses,' though it has a plot, is more of an emotional mood piece than a narrative-driven drama. Blessed with an outstanding ensemble cast, Podeswa is able to draw us in to the center of his world through the use of sensory imagery and deliberate, methodical pacing. In fact, one of the strongest themes running through the film is its examination of the part our senses play in defining our world and character. Podeswa understands that we have become desensitized to our senses. As a result, he uses this film to reconnect us to that crucial element of our beings. The quiet, hushed tone, the muted autumnal colors, the slowly moving camera, the haunting musical score all combine to create an atmosphere in which the audience can become conscious of every sight and sound that comes our way.

In our effort to establish meaningful intimacy with other human beings, we most typically rely on the sense of touch – yet, this can serve, Podeswa shows us, as much to trap us into a false intimacy as to lead us into one that is genuine and lasting. A number of his characters use sex as a substitute for true closeness, while others make a physical connection on a much deeper level. One of the most moving moments in the film occurs when a gay man – most probably an AIDS patient – breaks down in tears during a massage session, his heart broken because no one has dared to touch him in so long a time. This film acknowledges the vital part that tender physical contact plays in the totality of a person's humanity.

In a similar way, the film explores the beauty of sound, as one of the characters – ironically, an eye doctor, a man dedicated to preserving the organ of one sense – faces the prospect of impending deafness and yearns to create a mental catalogue of all the exquisite sounds of everyday life that he will soon no longer be able to hear and that we so routinely take for granted. Yet, like all the other characters, it is his spiritual emptiness and inability to make a meaningful connection with another human being that bring him his greatest obstacles to happiness. Podeswa also examines the part smell plays in making that vital human connection, as one of the characters – a lonely gay man – revisits his former lovers to take a whiff of their scent in an effort to discover if he can smell `true love.'

Yet `The Five Senses' is not merely a movie built on a clever `gimmick.' On the contrary, it breathes with the fullness of humanity because each of its many characters emerges as a fully developed, instantly recognizable human being. There are teenagers alienated by their own inability to fit into the accepted norm of society and made to feel guilty by their acts of careless irresponsibility. There are mothers terrified of losing their children, in one case, literally, as her young girl wanders off and disappears and, in another case, figuratively, as her adolescent daughter seems to be slipping away into inexplicable `strangeness.' There are adults unable to comprehend a life filled with failed relationships who strike out in desperation for that one last opportunity for happiness, often with the result that they end up further away from that universally desired goal than ever.

One of the most daring aspects of `The Five Senses' is that it does not succumb to the temptation to provide either a `happy' ending or even a conclusive one for all of its characters. The film acknowledges that life is a messy, never ending process of changing fortunes and personal growth and it stays true to that theme all the way to the end.

This brave, haunting and mesmerizing film definitely stands as one of the true movie finds of recent years – a true work of art!