Five Senses, The MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +1 1/2 Content: -3

Our five senses are often taken for granted; the wonderful sounds we hear, the rich tastes in our mouths, or the simple touch of another human being. In this drama, different characters, loosely connected by the kidnapping of a young girl, highlight one of the five senses. Ruth (Gabrielle Rose), a masseuse, touches people for a living and puts them at ease. Her daughter, Rachel (Nadia Litz), desires to see things that help develop her view of the world. Rona (Mary Louise Parker) makes beautiful cakes that really have no taste or substance, while her good friend, Robert (Daniel MacIvor), searches for the smell of love, which he believes exists. And Richard (Phillipe Volter) is losing his hearing, so he takes more interest in listening to the beautiful sounds in the world. THE FIVE SENSES has moments filled with emotion and human connection. However, it misses the mark with too many characters and storylines for audiences to follow. What begins as an interesting concept, ends in frustration since none of the characters is on screen long enough or the connection cohesive enough to grab viewers attention.

The films strong point is the few intimate moments between people. In one beautiful scene, Ruth takes in a client who is only there because he hasnt been touched in a long time. As Richard loses his hearing, a friend takes him to hear a choir sing, and in the process, shows him other ways to hear; that other senses, such as sight and touch, communicate with others. These moments are incredibly powerful and touchingly portray people showing love to one another. One of the characters is gay and, therefore, some references to homosexual relationships and homosexual sex are made. Other dialogue includes people making crude references to sexual acts and unconventional sex. Several scenes imply sexual activity, including one with multiple partners and another with nudity, but one graphic scene in a car shows motion and sound but no nudity. Another scene shows female nudity during a massage. And at least 10 obscenities assault the ears. Sexual content, nudity and obscenities are good reasons to not look, hear or touch THE FIVE SENSES.

Preview Reviewer: John Adair
Distributor: Fine Line Features, 888 7th Ave., 19th Floor, NY, NY 10106