Scent of a Woman
SCENT OF A WOMAN (15)
D: Martin Brest
Universal/City Lights (Martin Brest)
US 1992
157 mins
Drama
W: Bo Goldman [based on the screenplay
"Profumo di Donna" by Dino Risi & Ruggero Maccari; novel "Il Buio e il Miele" by Giovanni Arpino]
DP: Donald E. Thorin
Ed: William Steinkamp
Mus: Thomas Newman
PD: Angelo Graham
Al Pacino (Lt. Col. Frank Slade), Chris
O'Donnell (Charlie Simms), James Rebhorn (Mr. Trask), Gabrielle Anwar (Donna), Philip S. Hoffman (George Willis, Jr.), Richard Venture (W. R. Slade)
Al Pacino won his first, elusive Oscar for his performance
as Lt. Col. Frank Slade, a blind miser and war veteran, who, along with his young aide, takes a trip to New York City for one final thrill over Thanksgiving weekend before he intends to
commit suicide.
This 1990's update of a 1975 French drama (Profumo di
Donna) wastes a bit of time in the first act unnecessarily building up Chris O'Donnell's character, a poor scholar in a school for rich kids, facing possible expulsion unless he confesses to
witnessing misconduct from other students on campus. The intentions for doing so set up a courtroom drama style ending which doesn't quite fit with the rest of the film but is nonetheless
entertaining, simply due to Pacino's shutzpah.
The running time could have been kinder and it does have
it's flaws, but Al Pacino's enigmatic performance makes it eminently watchable.
7/10
