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Scent of a Woman

Scent of a Woman

List Price: $12.98
Your Price: $9.74
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: And the scent is bitter sweet....
Review: To what vinegar and bile a man's heart turns when he travels through his life without love. As sweet as the scent of a woman, it is the woman beneath the scent the retired Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, played by Al Pacino, has longed for all his life, and this is the final message of this remarkable film. Tough as nails, the blind military man rankles and spits and curses, making it impossible for the young college man, Charlie, played by Chris O'Donnell, to get along with him, let alone be weekend companion to him. Who, then, is the tougher one? Do as he might, Slade cannot rid himself of the college boy watching over his safety in an impromptu visit to New York City. Comes a time, he no longer wishes to; it is the boy who outlasts him in steely determination.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade has given up on life. He has lost his military career, once promising. He has lost his sight through machismo pranks of tossing grenades. He has lost the affection and support of his family through his impossible manner, save a daughter who loves him through clenched teeth. He has never been able to hold onto a woman, except for a woman's paid services. For his pleasure, indeed, he has only ever had the scent of a woman. The woman herself, her body purchased, her heart and spirit forever elusive to the man, requires far more courage to hold than that what is required in the escort services Slade relies upon. But Slade's courage is limited to military and machismo realms; he has none when it comes to the challenge of emotional courage.

To his young and idealistic companion Charlie, everything Slade is not, or perhaps was, but long ago, Slade says in a critical moment: when in my life I have done the right thing, I did it to feel important. You do it because you are a man of integrity. Charlie tells Slade, you are not a bad man. You are hiding behind your fear.

The impossible becomes possible when Charlie's idealism wins over Slade's moment of despair. Something heroic resides in Slade after all. When Charlie must make a difficult choice that involves a harsh test of his personal honor, Slade comes to his side. The resulting speech alone is worth the price of this film.

Once Slade allows his integrity (and, yes, it was in him, beneath the fear) to surface, the scent of the woman at long last embodies the woman herself. A breakthrough always has that kind of dominoe effect, even in reality.

Pacino's performance in this film is exemplary. O'Donnell, too, is first class, convincing in his portrayal of youth in all its bumbling innocence, as yet uncorrupted ideals.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Who Ha
Review: This is the best movie of all time Top 10 for sure. The Acting was amazing.Al was at his best best and O'Donnell was good.A must see for any Pacino fan.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Say Hoo-ah, and people know which movie you mean
Review: Pacino plays a blind, ailing, cantankerous old crotchet, retired military Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade with simmering thoughts of ending it all. Wow, talk about a fantastic performance. Will you ever forget the dance floor scene where he asks the kid for some parameters, size of the dance floor, and then dips into a spectacular tango? Or the sports car scene and the cop who stops him? Or the whole movie, for that matter. But especially, especially, especially for the final speech in front of the prep school that was trying to expel his assistant, one of the school's students at a trumped up disciplinary hearing.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Scent of a Woman": A much deserved Oscar for Al Pacino
Review: "Scent of a Woman" finally won Al Pacino the award for Best Actor-an honor that, in my opinion, escaped him far too long. His performance is wonderful, supplemented with the interesting dialogue that seems to be almost ad-libbed by Pacino himself. Perhaps his acting is larger-than-life, but the character demands such a performance. Frankly, I wouldn't have wanted to see the role fall apart in the hands of someone less experienced.

The film does remind one of "Dead Poet's Society," but quickly diverges into a rich character exploration while both Lt. Col. Slade and Charlie live it up in New York City. One question I have for the defense of Charlie: why, in the end, does he want to be associated with the institution that grinds against his principles? It seems that Slade's advice should be for him to join an institution that he feels proud to be a part of. Regardless, the ending scenes of the film are wonderful to watch time and time again, particularly if you enjoy moving speeches as much as I do.

The film is a bit long; it has several climaxes that confuse the audience as to when the film should end. But this film is worth watching, if only to hear Pacino speak about women in a way that completely validates his character.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: FLATTERED TO ENTHRALL
Review: As I was going through the Video collection of my friend yesterday, my eyes caught the title "Scent of a Woman". On seeing this my heart started beating a bit faster making me rush it into the DVD player! Although I watched almost the entire film till about 30 minutes from the end, hoping for "Scent of a Woman" in some unexpected turnaround, when it came to an end finally, it left me with an immense sense of satisfaction of having watched a wonderful film. The subtle thread of human relations going through the film -- amongst the Schoolmates, between the Colonel and his assistant -- oh, it was lovely. Human values scored at the end, and Al Pacino gave a master performance of a monologue while attending the disciplinary proceedings at the boy's school! I would ofcourse watch the film again and again and again!

Although the title of the film gives an altogether different idea about the film, the contents of course does not deceive us.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: PRAISE FOR PACINO VERSATILITY
Review: Pacino is best known for his gangster portrayals or for his portrayals of Satan or politicians (but wait, I guess those are all the same things, aren't they?).

Scent of a Woman is a sensitive portrayal fully worthy of the Best Actor Academy Award garnered by Pacino for his role. One comes to believe that Pacino is truly blind as he stares blankly at his fellow actors. Chris O'Donnell is exceptional as Pacino's much younger pal and "babysitter." A great human drama, Scent of a Woman is a story of redemption that speaks volumes about the challenges, large and small, that all of us face. If we read to know that we are not alone, Scent of a Woman accomplishes equal empathy in a motion picture.

Buy it for the Corvette scene. Absolutely terrific. I recall that the subtitle for the movie Superman was "You will believe a man can fly." Perhaps the subtitle to this one should be "You'll believe and blind man can drive...FAST!" Great movie!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Longish, stubborn, but entertaining
Review: Scent of the Woman has a bit of a blandish, mainstream story, but luckily (mainly since it's not the greatest) it sticks to the worth of 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 nut-job.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, giving Charlie (Chris O'Donnell) a pre-planned Thanksgiving weekend, is played by Al Pacino in the best of his abilities. The "hoo-ha" stuff could get old to some, but if you have a sense of humor with Pacino's mannerisms after a while, it sort of acts like comic relief during the more intense segments.

If you take the Pacino/O'Donnell act of the film (sort of like taking the entire 90 minutes of Tom Hanks on Cast Away island and sea), you almost have a masterwork of acting style over substance, but the film also has some un-needed filler for Charlie back at his campus. Still, Pacino rules (wish he'd try to look somewhat into someone's eyes even if he's blind), and gives a deserved, Oscar garnering performance....

By the way, this DVD is barebones in extras, has fine picture wquality with 2.0 Dolby Digital, yet only has the coutesy to leave Production Notes (as a movie it would be 4, but the DVD gets a 2, so it averages out).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Keep doing what you know
Review: If someone tells you about a turkish Terminator remake film, you will probably laugh. This film is exactly the same thing. If Al Pacino & Co were able to see the original movie (Profumo di Donna) they must feel ashamed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Scent of a Woman
Review: I put on the TV on a school night and saw this film. The result was I was sooo tired the next morning I fell asleep in history class. But it was worth it. This is honestly one of the best movies I've ever seen. AL Pacino is brilliant. By the way, this movie reminds me of the song 'Chelsea Hotel No.2' by Leonard Cohen. Don't know why, but anyway: GREAT FILM: buy it, rent it, steal it, whatever: but WATCH IT!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A delight to watch.
Review: Mr. Pacino, who has not been a favorite actor of mine, gives a powerful and compelling display of his acting abilities as a blind, embittered, retired army officer bent on destroying himself. Chris O'Donnel also shines in his role of the young student weighed down by a decision he must make which could destroy his future. The two spend an upsetting, uplifting, emotional Thanksgiving weekend together which ultimately leads to a very satisfying conclusion. Truly a delight to watch.


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