Review of Scent of a Woman (1992) by Viniciusbrito — 31 May 2018

A poor High School boy that lives miles away from his family because of the rich school that he went, looking for the best in his future he got away from his city for that school called Baird. At the school he is a exemplary student and have some complicated colleagues that did some things that got him envolved. To get money for see his family at the christmas, the boy, named Charlie, find a job to take care of a war veteran with a peculiar style and visually impaired while his family travel during the thanksgiving and after that he will face a learning adventure with the unexpected happening for him.

This is a story that does have a great plot, even that it is a story that doesn't happen very complex things, but you definely can learn some good stuff with it.

Al Pacino acting is perfect playing the character of Frank Slade, he can absolutely pass the right idea that he is blind, you completely buy it, the moves that he does with his face and just never blink or even seem like he wants to. Also the fact that he portrays a veteran military that got crazy and lost is beautiful, he can make you feel that he is lost without the movie even telling you that yet, he also have the perfect tons of voices to give a lot of different feelings on him, he can be dominant and gross with the voice, giving orders like in the army, or when he feels useless for what happened during his life or even charming and intelligent, a character with multiple layers, Al was perfect in this movie. Chris O'Donnell also did a very good job, because his character is kind of low and innocent with a strong character, but he kind of is like you during the story, lost in what is happening and trying to help up somehow at some moments, I think he did a good job with his voice and purity. Gabrielle Anwar had a fast and small row in the movie, but she definely deserves some recognition as well, even with her few time, what she did was very nice, representing that woman with a life that she though that was alright, she with expressions in the face and with the hole body she could express how unsatisfied she was before and after the encounter with Frank, and also how great she felt while was with him, living a lifetime in a moment.

The soundtrack of this movie is amazing, it does have a melody ta helps to put you inside of that movie and explain and expose what is going on with the characters, and does it with maestry with the character Frank Slade.

There is one special scene that completely make this movie be something unic, the Tango dance scene is great, gorgeous and a teaching of how to treat a woman, the kindness in Pacino's voice and look, even that the character is blind, is unbelievable, the voice that he used in that moment and gracefulness were on point, the sequence have like 5 minutes and have a great quote in it as well.

There is a clash scene that show how great of a actor Pacino is and how good was the job that O'Donnell did, the pain during the scene, and the attempt of saving and deliverance from both characters was insanely well directed and interpreted. You realise what is going on before the character, and that just make us tense and thoughtful of what could happen, there are a lot of tense scenes that just got me out of words during the movie. With moments of calm and despair from the same character trying to achieve his goal, are all great. AL Pacino transmits the pain and tiredness from his character. This scene is great also because it shows that even when you think you are useless in every part and nobody gives a damn, you can be great and not even notice it, in a bunch of different things.

By the end of the movie, there is one of the best speeches in movies, when frank give a real talk about character, honor, integrity with so much love and without losing completely his lost mind, showing that the personage still himself even after he got cleaned up. He says that courage and honor are very important things to keep us fresh, to keep ours souls intacted, without selling it to the others. Speaking all of that in a engaging and passionate way, exposing his pain and weaknesses. During the movie also does have a nice teaching and quote metaphoric about mistaking in life and also keep trying, without fear of if things goes wrong, just keep dancing.

There is one sequence that is necessary a poetic disbelief, for some could be a problem, but for me was nice. The car sequence was like one last shot, and a change of aspects in both characters, Charlie getting what was going on and trying to give Frank another breath of happiness and meaning, while Frank took it and did what he could, wich leaded to one of the best moments of the movie, the clash between them.

For me this is a perfect movie, the acting won it all, the route of the character was great and leaded into something big and very dramatic at the best way, not just shocking, but also teaching.