Perfect Sense (2011)

A chef and a scientist fall in love as an epidemic begins to rob people of their sensory perceptions.

Director:

David Mackenzie

Writer:

Kim Fupz Aakeson

Stars:

Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Lauren Tempany

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eva Green	...	Susan
Lauren Tempany	...	Girl in Bed
Ewan McGregor	...	Michael
Connie Nielsen	...	Jenny
Denis Lawson	...	Boss
Stephen Dillane	...	Stephen Montgomery
Shabana Akhtar Bakhsh	...	Nurse (as Shabana Bakhsh)
Caroline Paterson	...	Woman at Hospital
Malcolm Shields	...	Patient
Judith Anne Christie	...	Waitress
Ewen Bremner	...	James
Richard Mack	...	Apprentice Chef Richard
Alastair Mackenzie	...	Virologist
Anamaria Marinca	...	Street Performer
Juliet Cadzow	...	Wife at Grave

Storyline

An odd epidemic appears across the globe: people suddenly lose one of their senses. At first, it's an outbreak of loss of smell. It's often presaged by a destructive temper tantrum. In this mix are a scientist and a chef - she's Susan, one of a team trying to understand the epidemic; he's Michael, charming and engaging. Susan and Michael begin a relationship in the middle of increasing chaos, as the loss of other senses plagues more people and as civil authorities try to maintain order. Susan's voice-over reflections provide insight. Is love possible in such a changed world? Can anything make perfect sense?

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | pandemic | anarchy | cigarette smoking | male nudity | 

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Taglines:

Without love there is nothing.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK Sweden Denmark Ireland

Language:

English Sign Languages

Release Date:

7 October 2011 (UK)

Also Known As:

Al final de los sentidos

Filming Locations:

Scotland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,567, 5 February 2012

Gross USA:

$2,959

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$933,352

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Zentropa Entertainments, Scottish Screen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed on location in Glasgow, India, Mexico and Kenya.

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Goofs

When Stephen is talking to Susan and the Virologist near the beginning of the film, a doctor can be seen running down the stairs behind him towards the floor below. The camera cuts away and then back to Stephen, showing the doctor running back down the stairs again, then after a second cut back, he vanishes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Susan: [narrating] There was darkness. There is light. There are men and women. There's food. There are restaurants. Disease. There's work. Traffic. The days as we know them, the world as we imagine the world.

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Movie Beatdown: Review of 2011 (2012)

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Soundtracks

No voice was raised
written by Raymond Raposa
performed by Castanets
Courtesy of Asthmatic Kitty
Licensed courtesy of Domino Publishing Co Ltd (PRS)
By arrangament with Mixtape Music Ltd
Score Recorded at Studio Babelsberg by Falko Duczmal
Mixed by Falko Duczmal & Max Richter
Score Supervision by Mattias Schneider
Score Preparation by Dave Foster
Violin: Elissa Lee, Claudia Ajmone-Marsan
Viola: Sebastian Krunnies
Cello: Stefan Heinemeyer, Mok-hyun Gibson-Lane, Max Richter

User Reviews

Strong film

I wouldn't want to say a lot about the story. Perfect Sense is a film you have to see, taste, smell, listen. It's not a Contagion - like movie, it's not a zombie one either, but it could definitely be a post - apocalyptic reality check.

We could, but we wouldn't want to imagine something like that happening, yet again "what if". How strong is the human heart and mind and how could we adapt in such a massive change? This film might suggest a hint.

Ewan McGregor plays a chef that somehow gets involved with Eva Green, a scientist. Then, all that matters is how these two characters cope with an epidemic that bursts, depriving people their senses.

I found this film quite enlightening, the performances intense, the music appropriate and, last but not least, the photography/ filming magnificent. Great work from the director David Mackenzie. The end was mind blowing, for me.

Keep an open mind, look at the big picture and it'll be worth your time.