Scent of a Woman
1992 · Directed by Martin Brest
Original language: English
- drama
The story
Charlie Simms is a student at a private preparatory school who comes from a poor family. To earn the money for his flight home to Gresham, Oregon for Christmas, Charlie takes a job over Thanksgiving looking after retired U.S. Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a cantankerous middle-aged man who lives with his niece and her family.
What it’s like
Warm, talky, and tightly framed, with much of the film built on close two-shots in hotel rooms, a New York apartment, and a dark-wood prep school hall lit by weak autumn daylight and the warm glow of lamps. The palette runs to burgundy, brass, and deep amber, with the colours of the city sharpening during a long night drive in a black limousine and the bright, cold snow of New England coming in at the edges. The camera stays patient and unhurried, letting scenes run and holding on faces, while the score is pared back to a smooth, swaggering jazz and a tango that gives the film its pulse. Its vibe is bittersweet and combustible: sharp humour, big emotional swings, a bruised sort of hope. It suits a rainy weekend, a comfort rewatch, or an evening when you want a character-driven drama with one unforgettable performance at its centre. Expect a lot of sharp, profane dialogue and some raised voices, with occasional rough language and a few tense confrontations; violence is rare and mostly verbal, and the film's dark moments land in cruelty and despair more than in gore. For people who want a story about a difficult man and a young man finding their footing, told with warmth and wit.
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