The Five Senses (film)

Last updated
The Five Senses
The Five Senses FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa
Written byJeremy Podeswa
Produced by Camelia Frieberg
Jeremy Podeswa
Starring
Cinematography Gregory Middleton
Edited by Wiebke Von Carolsfeld
Music by Alexina Louie
Alex Pauk
Release date
Running time
106 minutes
Country Canada
Language English/French/Italian

The Five Senses is a 1999 Canadian drama film directed, written and produced by Jeremy Podeswa. [1]

Contents

The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight program at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, [2] and had its Canadian premiere at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival. [3]

Plot

The Five Senses is about interconnected stories linked by a building which examine situations involving the five senses. Touch is represented by Ruth Seraph, a massage therapist who is treating Anna Miller. Ruth's daughter Rachel accidentally loses Anna's pre-school daughter, Amy Lee, in the park, when Rachel is distracted by the sight of a couple making love in the woods. Rachel meets a voyeur named Rupert (vision), and they become friends as fellow outsiders while he teaches her the pleasure of observing others. They eventually go to one of Rachel's hiding places, where she has him dress like a woman.

Meanwhile, Ruth tries to help Anna cope with the disappearance of Amy Lee and stays the night at her home. Robert, a professional housecleaner, has an acute sense of smell, and seeks out the people he used to see to absorb their scents and see if he can smell any feeling for him or why they stopped caring for him. His professional clients include his friends Raymond and Rebecca, who makes perfume. Robert's friend Rona, a cake maker, has lost her sense of taste, and has romantic problems after Roberto, whom she met on a vacation in Italy, arrives. Dr. Richard Jacob, an older optometrist, is losing his hearing and wants to remember all the sounds before he goes deaf. He had separated from his wife Sylvie, but later connects to a woman named Gail (Pascale Bussières) who helps him to cope and feel better about himself. In the end, Amy Lee is found, and Ruth and Rachel are reconciled.

Cast

Critical response

For the CanWest News Service, Brendan Kelly wrote that "It sounds pretentious, and sometimes it is. But mostly it isn't, which is the real surprise in this often funny, understated ensemble piece that showcases some of the best acting in a Canadian film in the last year. The talented cast helps take this overly schematic script and make it feel real, with nuanced performances. The film works because you quickly forget about the follow-the-senses design and simply follow the stories of these intriguing characters seeking human companionship." [4]

Katrina Onstad of the National Post wrote that "The Five Senses has the kind of trick conceit that could have been a leaden exercise in showmanship were it not for the meticulous control of director Jeremy Podeswa", and that "a lyrical touch saves The Five Senses from bogging down in its own sadness (lost child equals weepy movie), and there are some much needed, very funny moments, particularly from Parker's neurotic cake baker." [5]

Awards

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef(s)
Toronto International Film Festival 1999 Best Canadian Film The Five SensesWon [6]
Genie Awards 2000 Best Picture Jeremy Podeswa, Camelia Frieberg Nominated [7]
Best Director Jeremy PodeswaWon [8]
Best Actor Daniel MacIvor Nominated [7]
Best Actress Mary-Louise Parker Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Jeremy PodeswaNominated
Best Art Direction/Production Design Taavo Soodor, Darryl Dennis Deegan, Erica MiloNominated
Best Cinematography Gregory Middleton Nominated
Best Overall Sound Philip Norman Stall, Martin Lee, Lou SolakofskiNominated
Best Sound Editing Janice Ierulli, Terry Burke, Ed Douglas, Garrett Kerr, Angie PajekNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Rozema</span> Canadian film director, writer and producer

Patricia Rozema is a Canadian film director, writer and producer. She was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in 1980s from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave.

Jeremy Podeswa is a Canadian film and television director. He is best known for directing the films The Five Senses (1999) and Fugitive Pieces (2007). He has also worked as director on the television shows Six Feet Under, Nip/Tuck, The Tudors, Queer as Folk, and the HBO World War II miniseries The Pacific. He has also written several films.

Alexina Diane Louie, is a Canadian composer of contemporary art music. She has composed for various instrumental and vocal combinations in a variety of genres. She has fulfilled a number of commissions, and her works, which have been performed internationally, have earned her a number of awards, including the Order of Canada and two Juno Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendan Fletcher</span> Canadian actor (born 1981)

Brendan Fletcher is a Canadian actor. He first gained recognition as a child actor, being nominated for a Gemini Award for his acting debut in the made-for-television film Little Criminals and winning a Leo Award for his role in the TV series Caitlin's Way. He subsequently won the Genie Award for Best Leading Actor for John Greyson's The Law of Enclosures, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Turning Paige.

The 20th Genie Awards were held on January 30, 2000, by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, to honour films released in 1999. The ceremony aired live on CBC Television, and a post-event highlights show aired on Radio Canada.

<i>The Perfect Son</i> 2000 Canadian film

The Perfect Son is a 2000 Canadian drama film written and directed by Leonard Farlinger. The film centres on Ryan and Theo Taylor, estranged brothers reunited by their father's death. Growing up, Ryan was the "perfect son" and Theo was the "black sheep" who struggled with drug addiction. When Ryan reveals that he is dying of AIDS, however, the brothers attempt to repair their relationship while Theo simultaneously tries to win back his ex-girlfriend Sarah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadia Litz</span> Canadian actress and director (born 1976)

Nadia Litz is a Canadian actress and director.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Achievement in Cinematography, to honour the best Canadian film cinematography.

Eclipse is a Canadian drama film, written and directed by Jeremy Podeswa and released in 1994.

<i>August 32nd on Earth</i> 1998 film

August 32nd on Earth is a 1998 Canadian drama film directed and written by Denis Villeneuve, in his feature film directorial debut, and produced by Roger Frappier. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. Alexis Martin won the Prix Jutra for Best Actor. The film was selected as the Canadian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 71st Academy Awards, but was not nominated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 Toronto International Film Festival</span>

The 19th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 8 and September 17, 1994. Whale Music by Richard J. Lewis was selected as the opening film. The festival's name changed from Festival of festivals to Toronto International Film Festival.

Eldorado is a Canadian drama film, released in 1995. Directed by Charles Binamé and written by Binamé and Lorraine Richard in conjunction with its main stars, the film focuses on six young residents of Montreal trying to make sense of their directionless lives.

Wiebke von Carolsfeld is a German Canadian film director, writer and editor. Her debut feature film as a director, Marion Bridge, won the Toronto International Film Festival Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival.

Camelia Frieberg is a Canadian film producer and director. She is a two-time winner of the Genie Award for Best Picture, as producer of Atom Egoyan's films Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter.

The Toronto New Wave refers to a loose-knit group of filmmakers from Toronto who came of age during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Memories Unlocked is a Canadian drama film, directed by Jean Beaudin and released in 1999. Based on the novel Homme invisible à la fenêtre by Monique Proulx, the film stars James Hyndman as Max, a paraplegic artist whose ex-girlfriend Lucie returns several years after their breakup to accuse him of rape.

Phantom Life is a Canadian drama film, directed by Jacques Leduc and released in 1992. An adaptation of the novel by Danièle Sallenave, the film stars Ron Lea as Pierre, an academic at the Université de Sherbrooke who is torn between his marriage to Annie and his extramarital affair with the younger Laure.

Erotica: A Journey Into Female Sexuality is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Maya Gallus and released in 1997. The film explores the perspectives on sexuality of various women involved in the production and release of both heterosexual and lesbian erotica and pornography, including performance artist Annie Sprinkle, filmmaker Candida Royalle, writers Susie Bright and Catherine Robbe-Grillet, photographer Bettina Rheims and novelist Anne Desclos. The film was the last interview Desclos gave during her lifetime.

References

  1. ↑ Gerald Pratley, A Century of Canadian Cinema. Lynx Images, 2003. ISBN   1-894073-21-5. p. 78.
  2. ↑ David Giammarco, "Sensing Success: Canada at Cannes: Jeremy Podeswa prepares for the festival". National Post , May 15, 1999.
  3. ↑ John McKay, "Podeswa film leads Toronto film fest". Brantford Expositor , July 31, 1999.
  4. ↑ Brendan Kelly, "Quirky characters intrigue viewers". Calgary Herald , January 28, 2000.
  5. ↑ Katrina Onstad, "A feast for the senses". National Post , September 10, 1999.
  6. ↑ John McKay, "Five Senses pays off for Podeswa". Niagara Falls Review , September 20, 1999.
  7. 1 2 "Genie Award nominations". Toronto Star , December 8, 1999.
  8. ↑ Craig MacInnis, "20th Genies warm up to Sunshine: Canada holds its own against world at cinema showcase". Edmonton Journal , January 31, 2000.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.