Scent of a Woman

I have read many commentaries about this screen play and I believe they all miss the mark.It Is not a "Coming of age" movie nor a crotchety old army man having one last fling before committing suicide. It is a very potent look at an older man who has reviewed his life, seen his regrets, and by way of injury lost his sight. But there is much more to this plot. What Lt. Colonel Slade yearns for is very similar to Charlie Simms is in need of .... respect. .His daughter's off hand comments near the beginning of the movie are very cutting and dismissive in a manner that brings perspective to all Lt. Colonel Slade's actions and thoughts throughout the balance of the movie. The sense of loss that Lt. Colonel Slade conveys in his bombastic, egocentric, scenes is so painful to anyone who is familiar with that sense of loss that is almost a flashback moment. Charlie Simms comment about the colonel being "In Pain". was the perfect counterpoint to all the drinking, odd activities, and suicidal drama that preceded those words. Unless you have been down those dark roads, you will have a very hard time appreciating just how well this plot and movie are at replicating that journey. With Charlie's help, Slade looses his edge/opportunity to carry out his plan and he accepts his lot in life. There is no movie magic to celebrate this milestone, we just return to Charlie's school. In many recovery programs the best way to forward your own recovery is to help someone else, so that is what Lt. Colonel Slade does. His five minute rant at the school is a diatribe about his mistakes and the need to respect the judgement of others. In an age where brow beating and obscurity are the most common interactions that a person feels, to see the Colonel stand up to the perpetrator and retaliate in kind was a powerful, feel good moment. It also got Charlie some respect for his decision not to tell and Lt. Colonel Slade some respect in the form of a social call from the female political science professor. This movie works for me because it gives the viewer hope. Hope that the opportunity for respect will come...as long as you hang in there. Very few movies have depicted suicidal thoughts and actions with such canter and insight, let alone shown the audience the deeper aspects from a male perspective. Charlie's persona is also believable in that his vulnerability is real and very commonplace in society today. That visceral sense of "no way out but...." is developed in a way that a sensitive young male would appreciate. Some reviewers have stated that the whole plot is very roguish and unbelievable, That Al Pucino's acting was "Over the top"and Chris O'Donnell was uninspired. To my eye, they are both very believable and that is why this movie resonated with so many people. Martin Brest brought Mr. Bo Goldman's screenplay to life in a very down to earth way. My thanks go to Mr. Martin Brest, Mr. Bo Goldman, Chris Odonnell, and Al Pucino for a movie that still holds my attention for the full 2.5 hours plus today.

Here we have a cynical bully who surprises his “babysitter� with plans for their Thanksgiving weekend together. There are tickets to New York that have been bought, a Waldorf suite that’s been booked, a rented limousine, and other big plans for quite an outrageous weekend in the Big A. Before Charlie realizes what he has gotten into, he is joining the Lt. Col. around New York with a quick, but nerve-wrecking test drive in a beautiful Ferrari, and an entertaining tango with a beautiful woman that’s just been met. An amazing film with amazing actors, Scent of a Woman (1992), directed by Martin Brest, becomes a classic! Charlie, played by Chris O’Donnell, is a young, innocent student at a private preparatory school in New Hampshire, trying to find a way to get out of the schoolboy prank that’s just happened at school, and who says he will look after Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Slade, who is played by Al Pacino. Frank is a blind, retired army officer, and Charlie yearns to earn some extra money over the Thanksgiving holiday so he can make it home for Christmas. Colonel Slade can sense the scent of any woman; name the scent she is wearing. He can somehow tell almost exactly the way a person looks, the facial expression they have upon themselves at any given moment, and the direction or movement one is participating in, even if they end up being as quiet as a mouse. Although, only given a 7.1 rating out of 10, this booming, leading role by Al Pacino won an Academy award for Best Actor with his amazing performance. Frank's passion is women; he “waxes� lyrically on their bodies, scent, and everything, and surely but slowly, Charlie learns to be aware of the sweet romantic buried deep within the lonely blind man's heart. Charlie and Frank's growing relationship is the whole idea of the film; Frank teaches Charlie how to see, while Charlie teaches Frank how to feel. Lieutenant-Colonel Slade gets a bit carried away at times, with his hand gun, which is supposedly never to be stripped of and parted from. Charlie gets a little frightened by the big man seeming a little whacked out. Charlie doesn’t seem too daring, but Col. Slade really brings out the best in him, and at the same time, Charlie truly does bring out the real Frank Slade. Throughout just a weekend, a young and an old become the best of friends. One of my favorite ideas about the entire film, Scent of a Woman, is really the whole plot that was created behind the scenes. I find it very interesting that an older man with some sort of disability, in this case it’s being blind, could show such passion without trying to make it seem that way for a much younger high school student. Colonel Slade, obviously, tries to not make it seem so obvious that he does have a soft side to him, and he’s ironic, so ironic, with the different ways he tries to teach his own lessons learned to Charlie. It’s a beautiful story, this film; the story behind it is magnificent. It’s amazing how two people so different from each other end up realizing after getting to know one another, that they are so alike. Scent of a Woman is a corny, comedic, and heart-warming, with its flamboyant performing actors. I would most definitely recommend anyone, except smaller children to whom it will be difficult to understand to the fullest, to view this film, simply because it’s a film that involves an adult, with a problem, and a teenage boy with a problem. Frank is lonely and in all reality, so is Charlie. We do all have problems, yes? Charlie and Frank, I believe, were destined to work together and find each other and really learn more about themselves for the better sake. Also, we don’t see many teenagers these days making nice and becoming great buddies with a person over 20 years older than them. The relationship that is modeled in Scent of a Woman is just outstanding and hard to beat, but teaches a great lesson, that anything is possible and you don’t always need to find someone your own age to get along so well with, because a person of any age, size, manner, etc. can be right around the corner when you go looking for that job over Thanksgiving break.