1999 · Movie
The Five Senses
Three sets of tenants in a live/work building have daily lives and/or current stories acutely involving one or more of the five senses. Rona, a specialty cake decorator, makes the worst tasting cakes in the world. She has mixed feelings about a visit from Roberto, a holiday fling she had. Roberto speaks little English, and Rona speaks little Italian, so they communicate primarily through sex. But Roberto also tries to make a connection through his passion, food. Rona's best friend and ex-lover is bisexual Robert, a house cleaner with a keen sense of smell. Robert is meeting with old boyfriends and girlfriends in search of the smell of love, all the while hoping to find that smell on the one he probably can't have, the husband half of married couple clients, the wife of whom is a fragrance specialist. Dr. Richard Jacob, an ophthalmologist, is quickly making mental memories of sound as he learns he is going deaf. One of the sounds he will miss the most is that of the contralto opera singer next door, who he has never seen. And widowed Ruth Seraph is a massage therapist who has a troubled relationship with her quietly rebellious teen-aged daughter, Rachel. A crisis occurs when Anna Miller comes for a massage appointment with her three-year old daughter, Amy Lee: while Rachel babysits Amy Lee, Amy Lee goes missing. Through this crisis, Ruth learns not only the technical importance of touch, but also its emotional resonance.
