Dir: Tom Tykwer, German, 2006 (8*)

The Patrick Suskind German bestseller is a "once in a lifetime" masterpiece, about a man totally obsessed with scents. I skeptically watched this movie, expecting the worst (no one thought it could be filmed), but the masterful director Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) is brilliant and obsessive about his projects, spending five years on this from conception to completion, and using unknown Shakespearean actor Ben Whishaw in the lead. Co-stars Alan Rickman and Dustin Hoffman, both excellent. If you love the creative and inventive, you won't be disappointed. The acting and director's vision are brilliant; I'm only giving it eight stars because I still prefer the book, it's more intimate, leaving more to the imagination. This is definitely NOT for the squeamish, and read the book!