Scent of a Woman Chris an Al Talking About School in Car

9 /10

Lengthy but very impressive- Pacino makes the film as good as it is

Scent of a Woman may be very lengthy, but it is also a very impressive film. The film looks beautiful, Martin Brest's direction is quite excellent, the script avoids being too melodramatic or soapy it is actually quite poignant when it needs to be and the story while very loosely based on the 1974 Italian film is always believable.

The acting is top-drawer. Chris O'Donnell is surprisingly impressive, I've known him to be bland before but he is quiet and understated here, and Gabrielle Anwar is lovely. But it is Al Pacino that makes the film as good as it is, he is just extraordinary. Whether tangoing with Anwar, berating O'Donnell's cowardly schoolmates or uttering his infamous laugh, Pacino whatever he's doing on screen gives one of his greatest performances.

In conclusion, very impressive elevated more so by Pacino. 9/10 Bethany Cox

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9 /10

A Generation Gap Of Values

In Scent of a Woman Young Chris O'Donnell at the Baird Prep School on a scholarship, has to earn the money he needs for a round-trip back to Oregon to see his family at Christmas break. He takes a job posting off a bulletin board at school advertising for a companion to a blind man. The blind man turns out to be Al Pacino whose sister and her family want to unload him so they can go away for Thanksgiving.

Pacino is no helpless invalid however. He's a former lieutenant colonel in the army and used to being obeyed on command. But he's facing a crisis in his life, he's just tired of being an invalid and dependent on people.

O'Donnell's having a crisis too. Headmaster James Rebhorn feels he and another student, Philip Seymour Hoffman, saw an act of vandalism committed on the school grounds. It goes against O'Donnell's grain to be an informant. But these other kids, Hoffman included come from old money and can buy their way out of most things. If the ax has to fall as Pacino tells him, it's going to fall his way.

The film is a touching story involving a generation gap of values that is bridged when Pacino and O'Donnell discover a genuine respect and affection for each other. Pacino's iconoclastic retired Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade finally won for him an Oscar for Best Actor that his peers had not voted him, despite being nominated 7 previous times in both the lead and supporting categories. In fact that same year Pacino was also up in the Supporting Actor category for Glengarry Glen Ross.

Chris O'Donnell had a breakout performance as the young preppie who has far more integrity than his richer and more privileged classmates. And Philip Seymour Hoffman is great as the kid who rats under the financial umbrella of daddy's millions.

Scent of a Woman is a great part for Al Pacino, not my favorite role for him. That one for me is ....And Justice For All. Still this award like the one given to Paul Newman for The Color of Money is more for Pacino's lifetime of artistic achievement in the cinema. And that's one artistic life anyone could envy.

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Masterful Performance by Pacino

Scent of a Woman (1992)

**** (out of 4)

Al Pacino finally picked up the Best Actor Oscar for his performance here as Lt. Frank Slade, a blind man who takes a Thanksgiving trip to New York City taking along a naive young man (Chris O'Donnell) who is going through some drama at school. Over this weekend trip Slade tries to relive some pleasures of life while teaching his friend a few life lessons. SCENT OF A WOMAN often gets singled out for the great performances but I think the film itself has been sadly overlooked throughout the years. Yes, there's no question that the film plays for emotions and there's no doubt that at times it's quite manipulative but at the same time it's about as entertaining as any film can get and it also features some of the most memorable scenes and characters of the decade. There's no doubt that Pacino deserves a lot of credit because the performance is flawless and ranks right up there with some of the greatest of his career and that's saying quite a bit. I can't think of a better performance of someone playing a blind man and even better is the way Pacino can give off emotions without saying a word. Just take a look at the Thanksgiving dinner sequence where we get a wide range of emotions and Pacino has to give them without saying much. The final speech from Pacino is one of the best in the history of cinema and the pure fire and energy given off by the actor is breathtaking. O'Donnell also deserves a lot of credit because he plays the part perfectly and really stands well against Pacino. Gabrielle Anwar is terrific in her brief scene and Philip Seymour Hoffman, even at this early stage of his career, shows how great he is. The music score is another major plus here as it's impossible to forget once you hear it. The movie clocks in at 157-minutes but it's the shortest "long" movie I've ever seen. The story itself contains so much personal drama that you can't help but get sucked in but the movie also works for many laughs as well. SCENT OF A WOMAN often gets overlooked when people discuss the great movies of the 90s but it's certainly deserving of a mention and then you have a legendary actor turning in a brilliant performance.

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6 /10

some memorable iconic moments

Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell) is a poor scholarship student attending an exclusive prep school filled with wealthy kids. He takes a job babysitting angry blind hard-drinking retired Army Ranger Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (Al Pacino) over the Thanksgiving weekend. He needs the money to go home to Oregon for Christmas. He witnesses with George Willis, Jr. (Philip Seymour Hoffman) a prank being prepared by some students on Dean Trask (James Rebhorn). Trask pushes Charlie for the names promising to expel them both at a special assembly. Trask also promises a guarantee admission to Harvard for Charlie. Frank convinces Charlie to go on a trip to NYC. Finally Frank reveals his plan to have a blow out and then kill himself.

I am not a Chris O'Donnell fan during his early years. He is too weak and too bland. I hate it when movies make him the lead. He's not compelling enough to be the lead. Al Pacino is acting big and overshadows everything. His antics leave the movie with some very memorable iconic moments. I just don't care enough about the limp weak Charlie. The movie is also too long by half hour or more.

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Al Pacino

His name defines in best manner this film who remains special. for many reasons. at different levels. first, because it is not just adaptation of novel or remake of the version from 1974. it is a simple, bitter, seductive film about values. about a special form of friendship. and, if after its end, the only memory remains the tango scene, it is a good thing. because the music is the basic ingredient of this fresco of a meeting and its fruits. about experiences. and forms of solitude. so, Al Pacino. and his first Oscar.

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9 /10

Al taking it to a whole new level

Al Pacino does not even need all the senses to make us feel great. Seriously though while the movie itself might have been rated an 7 or 8, Pacino makes it really worth while. And while a young Phillip Seymour Hoffman is also a sight to be seen (I did imagine him playing the second lead a couple of times and it might have elevated this movie too), it's Chris O'Donell and his babyface and innocence we get served here.

And his performance is good too, playing the gullible pupil to Als mentor and teacher. But of course there is so much more to it. Even if the life lesson might feel a bit too "preachy" and even if some reactions by Chris may not be as subtle as you wish they were, this really is gripping and when Al starts to talk .. every bet is off. This could be used as masterclass in acting, not that it's something new when it comes to Al. There is some swearing (if you mind) and there are also some flaws - which can be overlooked easily in the presence of greatness ...

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9 /10

"Say hello to the potluck party from New York City!"

Warning: Spoilers

There's not too much doubt Al Pacino earned his Best Actor award against some pretty stiff competition. His portrayal of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade requires him to be cynical, ill tempered, spontaneous and overbearing, and he pulls it off with animal intensity. Personally, I don't think I would have hung around too long after an initial introduction to the Colonel. Not that I couldn't take it, but why willingly put up with the abuse? Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell) needed the money, so I guess you can't blame him there, but he sure did have to earn it.

It's kind of difficult to know if Charlie made the right decision on not ratting out his merry prankster classmates. Slade's impassioned speech at the disciplinary hearing made it sound all right and good, but I kind of wonder if Charlie wouldn't have shown another kind of integrity in upholding the honor of the school. Tough call there, and in a way, he made it through without violating anyone's trust, but the path was greased by George Willis (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) getting grilled first. His old man's big bucks never really got a chance to help him.

The story's narrative weaves in and out of the title's puzzling riddle, as the blind Colonel Slade's heightened senses take over in identifying and characterizing the women he meets. The tango scene in the movie was my favorite, eliciting applause from the bystanders who witnessed Slade's confident movements on the dance floor. What works against the film's credibility was that insane Ferrari ride through the streets of New York City at seventy five miles an hour, all without a hitch while proclaiming loudly that something like that would have been entirely impossible. Heck, even Dustin Hoffman got blindsided by a taxi on a closed off city street for a scene in "Midnight Cowboy". And he wasn't blind!

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8 /10

Nowadays, it's hard to believe that this was directed by the same guy who did "Gigli".

After twenty years as an A-list star, Al Pacino took home an Oscar for his role in "Scent of a Woman". He plays blind Lt. Col. Frank Slade, who talks like he's ready to tear your throat apart, but has a heart of gold. Sound like a cliché? Well it's not. "Scent of a Woman" succeeds where so many movies have failed, probably because Al Pacino is in the lead role (almost anyone else very likely would have turned the character into a maudlin dweeb).

Anyway, the story has college student Charlie Sims (Chris O'Donnell) agreeing to be a caretaker for Col. Slade, and the colonel takes Charlie on an adventure that he'll never forget. Along the way, a rather unusual event happens at Charlie's college (that scene will most likely make you at least giggle if not break out into laughter), and the colonel sees no choice but to get involved.

Among other things, this movie has a number of people who weren't yet famous but would make their marks in later years: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Charlie's friend George, James Rebhorn as the dean, and even Frances Conroy several years before "Six Feet Under". "Scent of a Woman" is like a breath of fresh air in the stench of so many lousy movies. Which brings us to the question: why did director Martin Brest have to direct that god-awful "Gigli"?

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8 /10

Scent of a Woman

Warning: Spoilers

From Oscar nominated director Martin Brest (Beverly Hills Cop, Meet Joe Black), I had heard and seen bits and pieces of this film and the lead actor, I just had to see it. Basically Charlie Simms (Golden Globe nominated Chris O'Donnell) attending Baird School, and classmate George Willis, Jr. (young Philip Seymour Hoffman) are witnesses to a prank on headmaster Mr. Trask (Independence Day's James Rebhorn), who secretly bribes Charlie for the culprits identities. Charlie, yearning for money to return to his family in Oregon, has accepted a job looking after blind, eccentric and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (Oscar and Golden Globe winning Al Pacino) over the Thanksgiving weekend. Slade however plans a trip to New York, to supple all the pleasures, such as luxury hotel comfort, fine eating and drinking (wines), dancing, an escort, and after all this he plans to "blow his brains out". Over the time they spend together, Charlie sees what an interesting character Frank is, but of course it is when he is holding a gun that his conscience truly comes to a head. Thankfully Frank doesn't commit suicide, and they both return to New Hampshire, where Charlie faces his courtroom style assembly to find and punish the prank culprits. Frank surprisingly shows up, in place of Charlie's parents, and he shouts his opinions of all events Charlie has explained to him, and Frank manages to get him off the hook. Also starring Gabrielle Anwar as Donna, Richard Venture as W.R. Slade, Bradley Whitford as Randy, Ron Eldard as Officer Gore, Frances Conroy as Christine Downes, Sally Murphy as Karen Rossi and Nicholas Sadler as Harry Havemeyer. It may be almost two and half hors long, but I can't imagine any of the material being taken out. O'Donnell is very good as the unworldly teenage escort, but it is of course Pacino that steals the entire film with his brilliant eccentricity, avoiding too much sentimentality, he thoroughly deserved his Academy Award. His finest moments include recognising womens' perfumes (as the title suggests), the tango dance with Anwar, driving a rented Ferrari at high speed with a terrified O'Donnell, obviously the assembly, and every time he barks his famous "hoo-ha" cough. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay, and it won the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Screenplay. Al Pacino was number 1 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 26 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, and he was number 5 (along with Robert De Niro) on The World's Greatest Actor. Very good!

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7 /10

A Speech Everyone Likes

This was a different type of story with excellent acting by Al Pacino, who makes a speech at the end of the film that many people think is one of the coolest speeches they've ever heard on film.

Pacino's character, "Lt. Cl. Frank Slade," is a turnoff for awhile because he's so gruff, but he grows on you and becomes fascinating to watch as a blind man who doesn't act like a blind man. Chris O'Donnell, as "Charlie Simms," plays the opposite: a nice, young college kid whom Pacino winds up taking under wing. The only part I didn't care for was the beginning with Charlie's obnoxious friends, but that ties in later with Pacino's memorable speech.

A different kind of story, marred only by a little too much profanity. If you haven't seen it, I recommend checking it out. You'll enjoy it

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7 /10

I Got A Loaded .45 Here -- You Got Pimples.

Warning: Spoilers

It's hokey and predictable but I enjoyed it. You need a feel good movie once in a while. It's cheaper than Xanax.

Pacino won an Oscor for his portrayal of a blind and hopeless retired Army colonel, intent on one last expensive fling in New York before offing himself, and he deserved it. Unlike some other actors of his age who showed equal skill in their careers -- Jack Nicholson, for instance -- he hasn't settled into a well-worn and familiar groove. He seems to bring something a little fresh to every role. I think he was nominated seven times for an Academy Award before finally getting this one, for whatever such an award is worth.

His best-known scene is the tango he does in the ballroom of the Pierre Hotel with Gabriel Anwar. She's had dance training but you couldn't tell from this scene. Pacino isn't much of a dancer but he doesn't have to be. Like the other guests in the room, Anwar and Pacino are swept up in the dramatic rhythm of the Argentine tune, which I think is called "Por una cabeza," something about a horse race. Anyone who wants to see the dance done expertly, which is quite a sight, should check out Carlos Saura's "Tango." Gabriel Anwar is beautiful, elegant, exotic -- and she can act too. It's a small but memorable role and a rather complicated one, but she manages it exquisitely. It's the kind of part for which Jane Alexander won a Supporting Actress award for "All the President's Men." Too bad Anwar didn't get more prominence on the screen.

The story itself -- preppie in a quandary takes a temporary job as Pacino's guide on his last fling -- is corny and familiar. If it had been made anywhere outside of Hollywood Pacino might have succeeded in blowing his brains out in the Waldorf Astoria. As it is, he is rescued and restored to his spiritual life by Chris O'Donnell as the troubled preppie.

Back at the prestigious prep school, in an anticlimax, Pacino gets to save O'Donnell's hide by making the kind of unrelentingly brutal and honest speech about the meaning of "honor" that is usually reserved for the summations of heroic defense counsels. He bellows and waves his hands. The student body gives him a standing ovation and the stern headmaster, James Rebhorn, slumps in frustration. I felt a little sorry for Rebhorn. After all, it was he and his shiny new car that were under the giant balloon full of white paint when it was popped. He hadn't done anything to deserve it, and it was a trick dirty enough to pee off the Pope.

O'Donnell hasn't been seen that much since this movie was released. He's the perfect prep school kid though. He looks just right, and wardrobe has given him a big help. And his voice has the high, piping quality of a boy just out of adolescence. As his, squeamish friend, Philip Seymoure Hoffman is inventive, if at times obvious. He's become a fine actor though.

In the most tense scene, Pacino dons his dress uniform preparatory to shooting himself. It's a Lieutenant Colonel's uniform. I have a suggestion for the United States Army. Stop handing out so many campaign ribbons, badges, medals, name plates, and the other junk that festoons his chest. It's beginning to look a little Latin American, fellas.

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4 /10

Overcharged...

Prep school lad takes weekend job looking after blind, hard-bitten former Army colonel, who is on a personal mission of self-destruction. Adapted from the Giovanni Arpino novel and 1974 Italian film "Profumo Di Donna", this overlong picture directed by Martin Brest is unrestrained, overreaching and ham-fisted. Filmed in autumnal colors (brackish reds and browns), it doesn't even look good. Oscar winner Al Pacino chews the scenery in inelegant fashion--there are few real highlights to his performance because Brest encourages Pacino to treat every scene as a show shopper. Chris O'Donnell is easier to take as his teenage charge, yet the screenplay is obnoxious and continually prods us for a response with 'darkly comic' histrionics. *1/2 from ****

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5 /10

Longish, overrated, but watchable

Scent of the Woman has a story, but luckily (mainly since it's not the greatest), it sticks to it's dialog and actors. Brief plot summary goes as this: a prep kid needs money so he takes a job looking after a blind old guy who lives in a cottage with his family. If that was it, this movie wouldn't have even gotten off the ground, but then something interesting happens: the old guy is quite the classic (bleep).

And this Lieutenant Colonel is played by Al Pacino in the 'bravado' style of his abilities, his abilities being of his instincts, even if it is not at all one of his best performances. Too much of it is over-emphasis, close to being not even a complete person, even in the strongest moments. It's almost as if the Oscar to Pacino was more for his career up till then, not even for this film necessarily. Slade leads the young man (Chris O'Donnel) on a coming of age odyssey in NYC. If you take this part of the film (like taking the entire 90 minutes of Tom Hanks on Cast Away island and sea), you have something quite intriguing at times, but the film also has some un-needed stuff left over from preppie-school message-movie land, and it doesn't work at all. Still, Pacino does what he can, and some supporting actors are good.

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9 /10

Pacino Finally Wins An Oscar For Scent Of A Woman

Warning: Spoilers

Scent of a Woman is a drama film directed by Martin Brest that tells the story of a preparatory school student who takes a job as an assistant to an irascible, blind, medically retired Army officer. It stars Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Gabrielle Anwar.

Driven by an extravagant, tour-de-force performance by Al Pacino, Scent of a Woman is the story of Frank Slade, a blind, retired army colonel who hires Charlie Simms, a poor college student on the verge of expulsion, to take care of him over Thanksgiving weekend. At the beginning of the weekend, Frank takes Charlie to New York, where he reveals to the student that he intends to visit his family, have a few terrific meals, sleep with a beautiful woman and, finally, commit suicide. The film follows the mismatched pair over the course of the weekend, as they learn about life through their series of adventures.

By the end of the film, we have arrived at the usual conclusion of the coming-of-age movie, and the usual conclusion of the prep school movie. But rarely have we been taken there with so much intelligence and skill.Also,the story is a little contrived and predictable, it pulls all the right strings, thanks to O'Donnell's sympathetic supporting role and Pacino's powerful lead performance, for which he won his first Academy Award.It might soar on Al Pacino's performance more than the drama itself, but what a performance it is -- big, bold, occasionally over- the-top.

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8 /10

Please? I mean, you're just in a slump right now.

Al Pacino plays Frank Slade, a former Lieutenant Colonel who lost his career and his sight due to a stupid accident. Living in New Hampshire with tolerant relatives, Frank has become bitter and angry with the world, so much so he plans to peg out of it after one last hurrah in New York City. Enter Charlie Simms {Chris O'Donnell}, a hard up student from Baird College who is trying to earn $300 just to baby-sit the volatile Frank over the Thanksgiving weekend. Originally oblivious to Frank's plans, Charlie unwittingly becomes an accomplice to what Frank has in mind, yet both of them have no idea just how life defining the weekend could prove to be.

In the main, Scent Of A Woman survives its obvious creaks because of Pacino's Oscar winning, barn storming show. The film itself is engaging and ever watchable, if perhaps a touch too long. Pacino as Slade is plunged into implausible set pieces, driving a Ferrari, dancing the tango with the petite Donna {Gabrielle Anwar} and bluffing traffic cops with care free abandon. But such is the gusto and conviction that Pacino puts into the role, it scarcely matters about improbability since we are having too much of a good time with him. Ably supported by O'Donnell, who sadly after this film wouldn't go on to a better level of acting, Pacino manages to off set the short comings in the piece.....

There is no real drama to speak of in Scent Of A Woman. Some tight coiled spring like moments such as a family dinner and the point of Frank's journey aside, it's a pretty basic and safely written screenplay-with an ending that has divided many across the globe. It's an ending that to me, sits perfectly within the story, in fact it was apparent to me that it would go that way. This is not just Frank's journey, this is Charlie's as well, the ending just brings it all together as regards two polar opposites meeting in the middle at a differing, but crucial, point in their lives. Hell!, I beat my chest and shout Hoo-Hah! upon every viewing, and that's the impact, and the result, that director Martin Brest and his team were hinting at all thru the film.

Sometimes safe and ham can be real enjoyable, especially when backed by a certain soft eyed Italian American actor from the Bronx. 8/10

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10 /10

Smell

I like the bit where he says woo ahh many many times.

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6 /10

Drags A Bit ...

... Or perhaps I should say drags a big bit The problem I have with SCENT OF A WOMEN is that it resembles a few other feel good movies at the time . Following on from the success of DEAD POETS SOCIETY studio producers only seemed to be interested in making movies that were in danger of giving audiences diabetes , that's when they weren't making movies featuring a cop /a lodger/a babysitter/a flat mate /etc bringing murder and mayhem to an all American couple

Despite Al Pacino featuring in every poster and trailer clip SCENT OF A WOMAN revolves around much of its ( Far too long ) running time on the character of Charlie Simms who keeps getting into trouble at his private school and I was so reminded of DEAD POETS SOCIETY that when Charlie takes on a job to look after a blind man I kept expecting Robin Williams to turn up . Fortunately the man who Charlie is to look after Colonel Frank Slade isn't played by Williams but by Al Pacino . When I say " fortunately " I'm not dissing Robin Williams in any way but we get the opportunity to see Pacino cast against type in a blackly comic role . Colonel Slade is something of a pathetic figure and as you expect Pacino plays him with typical intensity and makes the whole movie more enjoyable than it possibly deserves to be , but he only comes to the fore a lengthy way into the movie which as I've stated is too long to be truly successful . Would a Hollywood studio consider an unsolicted script 180 pages long ? Of course not

Apart from the overblown running time the other flaw can be summed up by the score by Thomas Newman . As far as film scores go it's very good , but again it resembles work from other movies . The two note piano tune that features on the soundtrack is haunting but it's almost identical to the one that featured in THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION where Red leaves prison . But I've already mentioned that SCENT OF A WOMAN reminded me of other movies

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8 /10

Woo Haa

I'm at the age where the movies I watched in my youth have been reduced to flashes: a scene here, a quote there, or maybe even just a mood. In my efforts to re-watch/re-experience some of the movies of yesteryear Scent of a Woman crossed my desk. Or should I say, Scent of a Woman was being offered on Amazon Prime which made it free to view. In any case, I was pleased to watch it again with new eyes to really understand the movie.

First of all, I never knew Phillip Seymour Hoffman was in the movie. Granted, he did play a small yet significant role and he wasn't the actor he was when he died, but it was still good to see him and have that, "OMG I didn't know he was in this!" moment. My God did he play such a good rich snobby a-hole. I couldn't help but disdain him in this movie.

Secondly, I'd forgotten that the oft sampled "Woo Haa" from Al Pacino was from this movie. Somehow I thought it was from a lot later movie like "Every Given Sunday" or something in that date range.

As for the movie, it was a classic. Al Pacino plays Frank Slade, a surly old retired military man that became blind. He ended up at his nieces home for care because he annoys or outright angers everyone and she was the only one that would put up with him. He has no regard for social etiquette or the feelings of others, especially when it comes to his own family. Chris O'Donnell is Charlie Simms, a poor teenager attending Baird private school on a scholarship 3000 miles from home. To earn money he agrees to look after Colonel Frank Slade during Thanksgiving break.

The movie hinged upon Al Pacino's performance as most of the movie was just him and Chris. Al Pacino certainly delivered. Not two minutes after Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade was introduced did I find myself wanting poor Charlie to tell him to jump off a bridge and leave him by his blind, lonesome self. Of course there would have been no movie then but there would have been a small bit of satisfaction.

What the movie showed was that everyone has some good and everyone has at least a small part to play in improving the lives of others. Frank Slade, as embittered and abrasive as he was still had some endearing qualities and could still serve a purpose in bettering someone. The tenuous and patronizing relationship between Frank and Charlie grew in only the fashion that a Frank Slade relationship could develop; it was forged in the fires of Frank's drill sergeant tongue and his crusted still-beating heart.

Really, if I enjoyed the movie for anything it was Frank Slade's speech at the end. Many a movie--especially dramas of a certain type--end with an impassioned and portentous speech, but not many of them are good or hit the mark. Scent of a Woman was the exception. Frank entered into a "I'll tell you" tirade in Frank Slade fashion that was only made more striking because of how it was given and the situation in which it was given. It was a wonderful way to end the movie although it didn't end exactly there. Yes, two-and-a-half hours of viewing was worth the three to five minutes of Frank Slade v. Baird School.

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8 /10

It lingers, in the good way

Charlie spends Thanksgiving weekend taking care of a blind, retired officer to earn money to get home from his all-boy boarding school for Christmas. The latter unexpectedly takes them both to New York to live for one more time, and the two bond and get through to each other, in spite of how different they are. This is about integrity and earning what you get, as opposed to having anything handed to you. While it has moments of Hollywood, it's a timeless message and this ought not to be forgotten... and certainly needs no remaking(and no, I have not watched the original, nor read the novel), lest generations pass and something vital to this changes between then and now. The acting is great for all concerned. O'Donnell goes beyond the naive youthful vibe that comes natural to him and comes off as someone with strength of character. There are no big parts for women in this, and Pacino's role is, ahem, focused on them, and yet he is always respectful towards them(...well, other than the ones he's related to) and there is nothing exploitative in the presentation of them. They are classical beauties, stunning and natural, and they don't invite subjugation, nor do they experience any. This is filmed and edited well. There is tension, and for not manipulating us, this manages to make us empathize with the leads. Because we understand them, and because they are real. They and their actions are not perfect, and they never claim that to be the case. Both of them admit who they are. This is well-paced, and the two and a half hours go by smoothly, with no excess. There is a little strong language in this, none of it gratuitous. I recommend this to everyone mature enough for it(audiences should be at least in their teens). 8/10

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5 /10

Pacino's Oscar Bait

You can tell that Al Pacino was determined not to let the 8th chance of an Oscar pass him by, so he throws everything he's got at the Academy voters in this hammy performance as a cranky, blind veteran.

Chris O'Donnell gives a blank-faced performance as the preppy college student who's paid to care for the blind dude for the day, but boy doesn't he get more than he bargained for, and isn't Pacino's irascible geezer a hoot as he shows O'Donnell a good time? Why director Martin Brest needed two-and-a-half-hours to tell a story that could have made a half-hour sitcom is beyond me.

Oh and guess what.....Pacino won his Oscar. Michael Corleone is turning over in his grave....

Grade: C

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7 /10

It makes you like it despite your best efforts

If you're an Al Pacino fan, you've probably already seen Scent of a Woman. If you're a youngster and just "discovering" his talent, you'll definitely want to add this one to your list. Not only is it a cute, heartwarming, relatively light flick-given his usual movies-but he won his Oscar for it! While I prefer Frankie and Johnny for an "isn't Al Pacino adorable?" movie, you do need to see this one if you like him.

A remake of the 1974 Italian flick, Profumo di donna, a blind man decides to have a perfect day before committing suicide. Isn't that premise so European? Now, since you know this movie is hailed as being sweet and inspiring, and you know that Al Pacino takes a young kid under his wing, do you think he's going to go through with his initial plan and become a negative role model for schoolboy Chris O'Donnell? Well, you'll have to watch the movie to find out, and when you do, you'll see Al Pacino ballroom dance, crack jokes, drive a sports car, and shout out "Hoo-ah!" about a hundred times. And, no matter how annoying that sounds, I guarantee you'll chuckle every time he says it.

For me, this is one of those movies that makes me like it despite my best efforts not to. It's not my favorite, but it really is sweet and inspiring, just like everyone says it is. How many movies can you find where Al Pacino is the lovable good guy? Not very many, so catch them when you can.

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10 /10

Performances to Remember and Treasure

Now and then it is refreshing to turn back time and elect to watch older films of substance, a reminder that there are certain cinematic characters that have become indelible. SCENT OF A WOMAN provided Al Pacino a stage on which to perform a true character, unlike any he had played before, and make it one of those creations that still, 15 years later, evoke a smile and applause.

Blind, acerbic, loudmouthed, irascible Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (Pacino) hires preppy, in need of money, Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell) to escort him to New York for a 'final fling'. Charlie has his own issues that depress him, but the two end up having such a grand time in New York that they bond strongly - until Slade dresses for his final moment. The tearful Charlie convinces Slade not to off himself, Charlie's innate character wins Slade's gruff heart, and Slade ends up defending Charlie in an unforgettable prep school 'mock trial'.

The complete manner in which Pacino inhabits this role is a stroke of studied genius: as a blind man his every physical and verbal movements are wholly convincing. There are many fine moments in this film, not the least of which is the famous Tango scene, or the confrontation between Charlie and Slade regarding a suicide plan. Pacino won Best Actor for his role and it is richly deserved. This is a film to cherish. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

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7 /10

Very energetic, corny and enjoyable

Scent of a Woman may well the corniest film ever made. For that reason alone, I should hate it; but I cant because, despite the ever-present layer of cheese; this is just a damn good movie. The film allows it's characters to develop throughout, and through a series of silly and unlikely sequences, we actually see them do that right before our eyes. Scenes that see Al Pacino dance the tango with Gabrielle Anwar, or Pacino visit his long lost brother are priceless and although almost every moment of this film is extremely unlikely and is drenched in corny music; you can forgive it because it's so much fun to watch. We follow a young man named Charlie. Charlie is in trouble at school as he witnessed a prank and, if he doesn't name the perpetrators in public - he'll be expelled. He's also taken a summer job as a babysitter for a blind man, which spirals out of control as this cantankerous old man bungles his babysitter onto a plane and takes him to New York for one final weekend of luxury before ending it all.

Al Pacino's character in this film is resoundingly different to any other character I've seen him play in any other film. It must be great for a thespian like Pacino to get a role like this, and he clearly enjoys himself playing it. Maybe even a little bit too much at times, as his constant shouts of 'Hoo-Hah!' would suggest; but the energy and talent that Pacino exudes onto the screen mean that you can forgive even when his mannerisms step over onto the wrong side of annoying. Pacino's co-star is then young Chris O'Donnell, who brilliantly offsets his ham with a restrained and understated performance. He often blends into the background, which isn't normally what you want for a lead; but the way he stands back and lets Pacino do all the work may be the only truly realistic thing in the entire film - as that's clearly how a quiet seventeen year old would react in this situation. The characters are an important element of the film, so it's lucky that director Martin Brest was able to recruit performers of this calibre. Scent of a Woman sometimes loses it's way where reality is concerned, but it's constant stream of entertainment offsets this brilliantly and what we are left with is a highly energetic and enjoyable film that is really hard not to go along with.

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7 /10

Whooooa What a movie

mm-39 22 February 2001

Warning: Spoilers

Spoiler!!! This is a story about desperate situations, and how the 2 character need each other. One facing academic destruction, and the other blindness. One plans to kill himself, and the other will live a shallow life never being able to seek his real potential. Their need for other is based on the strengths the other does not have, which helps both to face their own weaknesses. One realizes he lives a better life then most people, and will adjust and continue on, while the other is helped out of a bad situation. In the end this movie leaves you feeling good, and thankful for the hidden potential we all have inside.

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9 /10

Hoo-Haa... Pacino rules!

Adapted by Bo Goldman from the novel Il buio e il miele (Italian: Darkness and Honey) by Giovanni Arpino and from the 1974 screenplay for the movie Profumo di donna by Ruggero Maccari and Dino Risi, Martin Brest's 'Scent Of A Woman' is evergreen classic from the early 90's. Ho-Haa all the way man!

'Scent Of A Woman' tells the story of a young kid and his weekend boss, a blind retired Colonel. The film works big time, mainly because it has it's heart the right place. With a running time of over 156 minutes, here's a film that holds your attention from start to end.

Pacino is a legend and rightly so. He's incredible, 'Scent Of A Woman' works because he really lets you down. He won the Academy-Award for Best Actor, and Ho-Haa he deserved it! Chris O'Donnell also pitches in a very mature performance, this is his best work as an actor. Philip Seymour Hoffman is efficient, as always.

On the whole, 'Scent Of A Woman' is a winner all the way, a marvelous film. Two Big Thumbs Up! Ho-Haa!!

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Scent of a Woman Chris an Al Talking About School in Car

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105323/reviews

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