Scent Of A Woman (1992)
Starring: Al Pacino & Chris O’Donnell
Directed by: Martin Brest
Rating: ★★★
A Movie Marmite Man fan and loyal reader told me that I had to watch Scent Of A Woman, because it is one of her all time favourite films. I can admit that I wanted to see the movie, if only because it won Al Pacino his first and (so far) only Academy Award, making it a large part of cinema history.
The story concerns Charlie (O’Donnell), a prep school student who takes the three day job over Thanksgiving weekend of looking after Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a blind and grouchy army vet, in order to pay for the airfare to go home for Christmas. What Charlie doesn’t know is that Frank has other plans for them both, and they soon end up in New York City, where Frank intends to spend all his money on booze, broads and food, before finally committing suicide.
The movie has a unique blend of comedy, drama and touching moments, all powered by two strong central characters.
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| The unrealistic and sappy ending in all its glory! |
So was I impressed? Yes and no. Although I was really impressed by the first two hours, I felt that the last half an hour just did not fit with the rest of the film. The movie begins as a rather serious character study, and although there are some heart warming moments, including Frank ballroom dancing with a beautiful stranger, and there are some solid dramatic scenes, including Thanksgiving dinner with Frank’s family, I just felt that the whole film was leading to what should probably have been the best and most realistic ending: Frank’s suicide. But the film didn’t go that way, instead tacking on a hammy and tacky feel good finale, where we are meant to believe that Frank, who is a horrible and nasty piece of work throughout almost the entire duration of the film, is suddenly redeemed. And although I did like the ending itself, I feel like it should have been the finale for an entirely different movie, thus making me feel like Scent Of A Woman is in two very distinct and conflicting parts.
The running time is also too long: at 2 and a half hours they are really asking too much, especially when I felt the film should have ended at the 2 hour point anyway. There are parts that definitely could have been left on the cutting room floor, but then saying that, no one is going to snip Al Pacino out of a movie now are they? But the film does have many superior qualities too, mainly the performances of both leads. Al Pacino gets his Oscar for being a blind bastard whose frozen heart of gold is slowly defrosted, so that he can ham it up to the max at the climax, and Chris O’Donnell gives the quiet and sensitive Charlie real depth.
But, overall, I feel that Scent Of A Woman does have some real problems, including it’s name. Okay, I get that he is blind and smells women, but this really doesn’t have anything to do with the main purpose of the plot. The most irksome part though, for me at least, is the fact that we are meant to believe that a completely detestable character with no real redeeming features suddenly has a complete turnaround by finding redemption through some sort of paternal love... It’s just so unbelievable and cheesy. I can admit that I’m not usually a fan of a happy ending, unless it is earned and justified, but here I really feel that it was just shoved on. Also, no one seems to mention the fact that Charlie is rewarded for doing the completely wrong thing, so the moral of the story seems to be that being obnoxious and not playing by the rules is admirable and respectable. Sure, Charlie is put into a difficult situation, but the resulting outcome really doesn’t make much sense- shouldn’t people be punished for doing the ‘wrong’ thing?
So if you like cheesy and uplifting feel good movies, then Scent Of A Woman is for you. Personally, I would have rather Frank had blown his head of, and then at least we would have learnt a real lesson about not squandering your life, or not being a dick to everyone because it only leaves you sad and lonely. Instead, we learn that by being horrible and going against the establishment, everyone can have a happy ever after... well, except rich people, because you know, according to this film, they just plain suck.
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