Pacino is brilliant

"Scent of a Woman" contains one of the most brilliant and beautifully told stories ever captured on modern cinema. Al Pacino lights up the screen as he always does, this time playing a blind, retired US Army officer named Frank Slade. Frank lives a somewhat isolated life principally because of his own difficulties in dealing with others. Chris O'Donnell plays Charlie Simms, a prep school student who answers an ad to be Frank's assistant over the Thanksgiving Holidays, unbeknownst of the character of the man with whom he will have do deal.

Frank is one of the scariest and yet still appealing characters we have ever met on film. Frank surprises Charlie with a trip to New York City where the two of them engage in some very memorable and emotionally powerfully scenes that will not soon be forgotten. The most memorable of these scenes, for me at least, is one during which Frank dances the tango with a young woman whom he has just met in a high scale restaurant.

My praises for "Scent of a Woman" are very high, and yet I still feel the movie lacked certain aspects that could have made it even better. Perhaps my biggest complaint, albeit a small one, is that there are many instances in which the supporting characters help things work out a little too perfect for Frank and Charlie. The film also really contains two separate conclusions, both of which are powerful in their own rights, helping to drag the film out to its length of over two and a half hours.

Nonetheless, "Scent of a Woman" is a beautiful work of art largely due to the tremendous performances of both Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell. Although it will probably seem dragged out to you at times, it is a story full of such intelligence and powerful performances that it should not be missed.

Rated R for language

I'd give it 4.5/5, but since I can't, I'll round up to 5/5.