Scent of a Woman (1992)

I first saw this movie when I was staying with my grandma at her cabin. I was blown away. The story is great, the acting is perfect, and you can't help but get attached to the characters. The relationship, trust, and love that develops as the story unfolds is nearly unparalleled in modern cinema. One of Pacino's BEST performances. Not like some of his other roles. Chris O'Donnel actually puts in probably his best performance of his career. This movie is full of great scenes (Pacino driving the Ferrari), Pacino yelling at the school dean, and unforgettable one-liners (hoo-ah). Do yourself a favor and rent this classic. You will be glad you did. (Also makes a pretty good date movie)

Fmovies: Al Pacino (The Godfather, Looking for Richard) won an Oscar for Best Actor for his outstanding performance as Lt. Col. Frank Slade. I have the tape and have watched it a bazillion times. I have seen many other actors playing a blind man but Pacino outwits them all. I have watched it closely just to watch his eyes. He is terrific! Every time we watch the movie we spend at least two days going: "Oo-rah!" I like prep school movies and I have two movies where Chris O'Donnell (Circle of Friends) Charlie Simms is in a prep school. I guess it goes with his type. I like the part of Charlie who is doing the best he can with the weekend he has to face. One of the most difficult things for people is to feel is useless. That is how Lt. Co. Frank Slade feels. He also has a cynicism about life that in a sense is funny because of its irony. He meets Charlie and has everything planned out. The Colonel has extremely good taste. Meeting young Charlie, who is in a very difficult situation, the outspoken Lt. Col. found a reason to live and to feel useful again, even enjoying the smell of the perfume of Charlie's teacher. I did not see the 1974 Italian film "PROFUMO DI DONNA," but would love to see the performance of the late Vittorio Gassman, one of the most well known actor of the Italian Theater and Cinema. My Favorite Scenes: Lt. Col. driving in New York city, dancing tango, and giving a speech before the student body, to clear up Charlie's name. This is a great movie! My Favorite Quotes: Lt. Col. Frank Slade: "Oo-rah!" ..." But there isn't nothing' like the sight of an amputated spirit, there is no prosthetic for that.." "There are two kinds of people in this world, Charlie. The first group are the people that face the music; the second group are those who run for cover. Cover is better."

Michael Corleone was the best, Tony Montana sublime but Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade aint far behind in one of the greatest performances i've ever witnessed from the legend that is Al Pacino.

Agreeing with some that the last scene in the 'courtroom' wasnt all that necessary (but still uplifting) the rest of the film is fantastic. Pacino gives Slade authority, humour, stuborness and a sense of class few could manage.

O'Donnell pulls off the 'wet-behind-the-ears' role of Charlie Simms very well considering the presence of Pacino, giving the role exactly what it needed, somebody to take Pacino's crap and look completely out of his depth (the character not the actor).

The scene in the hotel room where Slade tells Simms to pass him over a few bottles of that 'John Daniels' and Simms responds 'don't you mean Jack Daniels' the next line is my one of my favourite ever...

'When you've known him as long as i have kid, you can call him John'

Love the character, love the film, for once the Oscars got it right 1993s best actor in a leading role deserved it fully.

Scent of a Woman fmovies. This is the story of a lonely man gone lost in the darkness of his own mind and sight. A retired Colonel, and his last young recruit, embarks on the Colonel's final mission, but the end is not what either of them could have ever imagined.

Despite being somewhat melodramatic and predictable, this is a high spirited human drama and a definitive Pacino milestone. It has one of the most soul-touching performances I've ever seen by an actor. Al Pacino's character play is nothing less of absolutely stunning. The bonding of O'Donnel's firm performance makes this movie a unforgettable classic.

"Hoohaaah." Two thumbs right up!

Pacino's Col. Slade is a portrait of turmoil. Not because he's blind, but because he's never been able to rise above the blindness and still find peace with himself and with the world. One of the great tragic characters of recent years. His story is much like Hickey's in "Iceman Cometh" or Howard Beale's in "Network." They never think they do good in the world with what they have, so they find themselves in this dark hole and they stay there. No one can help them out. No one looks after them. No one feels what they feel. As years go on and opportunities are lost, the dark hole gets filled with a lot anger, sorrow and possibly regret. Can they be healed? Do they want to be healed?

In "Scent of a Woman," Pacino presents this dark, gloomy character perfectly in his Oscar winning performance. He overwhelms you with his constant bellowing and ordering of O'Donnell's Charlie. He's a man who never left the Military. My guess is that you can never take the military of out the man, only the man out of the military. He doesn't blame anyone or anything for his blindness. He's man who thinks that somehow, he was destined to "tour the battlefield" this way.

Movies often have lines that become part of our culture. The line from this one is hoo-ha! I don't know why for sure Pacino says that. He does though and it's great. Whenever I ask anyone about this movie, those who have seen it 99% of the time answer with a hearty hoo-ha!

As for the performances: Pacino, I dare say, gave his best performance ever. It was also the riskiest. We're not supposed to like him, but we do. We can tell he doesn't think that Charlie is a moron. We can tell that he likes him in fact as a son. It strikes us as sad though. We can sense that this man has always been lonely. But then he lost his sight because of his mere stupidity and fondness for booze. He became even more lonely and sarcastic. Mean in fact, but funny. I was laughing my $ss off when he drove the Fararri, yelling hoo-ha! at every turn. Charlie has what Slade attempted to achieve his whole life: integrity. As he says, Slade did stuff just to do stuff. Charlie does it because he means it. Chris O'Donnell, as Charlie Simms, is good. Albeit a bit understated. As I said before, Pacino is masterful. The actor who played the rich boy George is funny too.

When I first saw this, I thought the ending ruined it. It seems a bit trite and cliche ridden, but the final speech is good. Brilliant, in fact. Pacino's character comes to his own realizations and ultimately his climax in the speech. Brilliantly acted by Pacino, I may add. He takes several stupid lines in the speech and makes them forceful.

This is a good movie. Great really. It ranks on my top 10 of all time. Number 1 being Saving Private Ryan. If you want to see what Academy voters are swayed by, see Unforgiven. If you want to see a masterful movie that contains one of what I consider to be the best performance by an actor ever(the real best being Charles Sheen in Major League 2)see Scent of a Woman. The script does have its errors. The time duration is often unclear. Slade tells Charlie that his gun is not a gun, but a weapon or a piece. Seconds later, Charlie asks for it and Slade refers to it as his gun. Just little stuff like that are the reasons why the Academy didn't give it their vote. I don't care about that though. See it. Remember, the two best syllables in the world are....oh wait. I can't print that. If you've seen the movie, you get the joke.