Scent of a Woman

Starring: Al Pacino

Directed by: Martin Brest

RS: Not Rated

1992 Drama

Al Pacino pulls out the heavy acting artillery as Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a bullying, bourbon-swilling former LBJ aide who retired to live with relatives after blinding himself in a prank. Chris O'Donnell plays Charlie Simms, a prep-school student who hires on to drunk-sit Slade over Thanksgiving. Charlie will be expelled if he doesn't rat on the classmates he saw deface the headmaster's car. Slade's hurting, too. With Charlie as guide on a trip to Manhattan, he plans to dine at the Plaza, sleep at the Waldorf and make love to a woman. Then, dolled up in his dress blues, he'll blow his brains out.

The role is an excuse for showing off, but Pacino plays it for real. Behind the military bark, the "pussy" talk and the cruel hoo-ha of a laugh, the self-loathing colonel is a romantic who can identify the perfume a woman is wearing at twenty paces. His tango with a stranger (sexy Gabrielle Anwar) is courtly and poignant. Even with his expressive eyes locked in a fixed stare, Pacino hauntingly captures Slade's longing; he's astoundingly good.

The movie, however, is a crock. In Melvin and Howard and Shoot the Moon, writer Bo Goldman brought out the big emotions in ordinary people with rare delicacy. But this time, by having Slade and Charlie ennoble each other through trite life lessons, the uplift feels bogus. And director Martin Brest (Midnight Run) pours it on for a punishing two hours and twenty-nine minutes. Just try not to wince.