One of the most expensive European productions ever, Perfume is an exquisite adaptation of Patrick Suskind's bestselling novel from 1985 about a young man who murders women to "steal" their smell.

For many years, several high-profile directors (including the late Stanley Kubrick of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut fame) wanted turn the book into a film but eventually gave up, thinking that it would be too expensive and complicated. Tom Tykwer (of Run Lola Run fame) finally found the guts and funding to take on the project, and the results here are quite miraculous.

Set in 18th-century Paris, the story revolves around a young man (played by up-and-coming British actor Ben Whishaw) who has an astonishing sense of smell. Able to dissect the complex smells into their precise components, he is hired by a perfume-maker (Dustin Hoffman) to create seductive perfumes. Eventually, he becomes so determined to create the world's most alluring scent that he starts to kill beautiful women so that he can "steal their scents".

This spectacularly ambitious production cost approximately 50 million euros — a bomb even by Hollywood standards — but the money has not been wasted. The costumes and set are richly detailed and impressively stylized, while the acting and direction are mostly competent.

Perfume is a rare and genuine treat for the senses. A must-see for lovers of European art films.