Plot: As a number of luminaries on the international fashion scene converge for a major show, their personal and professional crises come to a head in this comedy-drama. Lorenzo Mancini (Paul Sorvino) is an internationally famous designer who has learned he has only a short time to live. As Mancini tries to make his peace with both his ex-wife (Sonia Braga) and his long-time companion (Peter Gallagher), he also tries to mend fences with his son (and heir) Mario (Michael Sorvino) while persuading him to not merge the family business with the hip-hop fashion empire of J.B.
(
Omar Epps. Anthony (
Jared Harris), a famous and influential fashion photographer, is having a career crisis as his marriage to Francene (
Michelle Forbes) begins to collapse. Cutting-edge designer Roberta (
Rita Wilson) is scrambling to complete her latest line as her underlings start leaving her one by one. Camille (
Leslie Mann), Roberta's business partner, may be the next to hit the road, as she becomes involved with Jamie (
Jeff Goldblum), who works for a firm run by arch-rival designer Phillip (
Harris Yulin). And Janice (
Joanne Baron), the editor of a leading fashion journal, is facing a deadline when she gets an unexpected visitor -- her daughter Halley (
Michelle Williams), whom she hasn't seen in over a decade. Taking an unusual approach, director
Michael Rymer and screenwriter
L.M. Kit Carson wrote a detailed outline for
Perfume and in-depth background sketches for all the characters, but allowed the cast to improvise all the dialogue used in the film.
Perfume had its world premiere at the 2001 {~Sundance Film Festival}. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide.
