Perfect Sense

Ewan McGregor et Eva Green dans un film romantique et de science-fiction non conventionnel qui a son charme particulier. Et même s’il est vraiment bizarre par moments, il caresse l’âme. Après mon visionnage récent de L’Agence, il est évident à mes yeux que le genre « science-fiction romantique » a beaucoup à offrir et donne l’occasion rêvée aux scénaristes et réalisateurs de regagner jusqu’au spectateur le plus blasé. (03/08/2012)

Version plus philosophique et production plus modeste que le Contagion de Soderbergh. Mais, à part la beauté du final, c’est tout aussi froid et contenu, ce qui est plutôt un choix malheureux pour un film qui se focalise avant tout sur les deux personnages centraux – et leur relation. (06/02/2012)

The story portrayed in this film is not set in any particular time or place, the “hypertext” interspersing of the fictional event with authentic news footage illustrates the global impact of the epidemic and gives us the feeling that what we see is happening right now and in this world. The small scale of the narrative with a few people and one place is not adhered to as conscientiously as in another chamber film about the end of the world, namely von Trier’s Melancholia (in contrast to the procedural Contagion, both films provide space for the characters’ reactions to the anticipated end of existence rather than to the cause of the epidemic). It isn’t clear what the filmmakers want to point out to us. The pointlessness of treating symptoms instead of looking for deeper causes? The distancing of humanity from the roots of a "pure", pre-technological society? The cynicism and selfishness of humanity, which at a critical juncture gives preference to physical pleasure over atonement? In any case, there is no doubt that the subtext of the vaguely articulated challenge is hopeful: don’t deal with bullshit and re-establish broken contacts (with people, or with the world). The optimistic message will be a reason to sneer especially for viewers enthused by von Trier’s film, which conceals one layer of depression under another. The biggest cynics can choose the opposite reading and see Perfect Sense as an unintentional parody of post-apocalyptic films (the gluttony phase of the contagion looks like an outtake from a zombie-horror B-movie). Too much latitude for interpretation, the predictability of the plot and the fear of really going all out (like Fernando Meirelles in the much rawer Blindness) prevent us from enjoying Perfect Sense as a disaster thriller. The film works much better – almost flawlessly in the final scene – as a standard melodrama about a couple in love facing a force more power than them, but not more powerful than their love. The film makes perfect sense only as a drama that we willingly let ourselves be touched by. 70% (04/02/2012)

A perfect premise, no doubt. The director of Spread has made a surprisingly ambitious romantic drama with a global catastrophe as a backdrop. The result is quite impressive, but it could have been even more so if the relationship between the two protagonists worked better – I just didn’t feel any bond between McGregor and Green. The apocalyptic line works much better and it was the most enjoyable thing in Perfect Sense. What’s a stumbling block, though, is that the creators want to express way too many things in these two lines (from personal relationships, through the human nature, all the way to our relationship with our planet) and I couldn’t catch the central motif, if there was any to begin with. The resulting impression is as if someone had optimistically told me that I still have one year of a happy life left… 7/10 (15/01/2012)

Perfect Sense beautifully weaves together two storylines—one, a romantic connection between Ewan McGregor and Eva Green, and the other, a dramatic global pandemic where people gradually lose their senses of taste, hearing, and sight. The film is packed with "what if" scenarios, exploring the idea that humans can adapt to even the most limiting conditions. It's overflowing with philosophical moments, where every five minutes, McGregor or Green drop thought-provoking lines that make you pause and reflect. It's a stunning, deeply intriguing film full of questions we don’t have answers to—at least not until we're forced to confront them. Add to that Max Richter's hypnotic piano score, and you've got a truly remarkable film, perfect for anyone who loves to ponder the meaning of life. (17/02/2012)