Scent of a Woman
American Broadcasting Company (ABC) | Release Date: December 23, 1992 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
57
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
5
Negative:
2
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Los Angeles TimesPeter Rainer
But it's essentially a tour de force for Pacino, and he sustains us through the slow passages by working with a closed-in intensity that turns each scene into a kind of mini-movie complete with its own ticking time bomb. [23Dec1992 Pg. 1]
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
By the end of Scent of a Woman, we have arrived at the usual conclusion of the coming-of-age movie, and the usual conclusion of the prep school movie. But rarely have we been taken there with so much intelligence and skill. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
If there's anything special about the film, it's that on this occasion, the emotional realism of the characters, especially Slade, is heartwrenchingly believable. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
In the end, Scent of a Woman offers little more than lumbering simulation of Rain Man's nimble magic. But Pacino's performance-scabrous, tender, ripely theatrical-is a master showman's trick. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineStaff(not credited)
Thanks to a landmark performance by Al Pacino, SCENT OF A WOMAN is an agreeably watchable film. If they'd made it half an hour shorter and re-written the ending, it could have been a great one. Read full review
70
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
The good thing is that the principals and film makers make the absolute most of a conventional opportunity. Read full review
70
Washington PostHal Hinson
This is a great performance from Pacino, who has the good luck here to work with Goldman's mostly wonderful, edgy script, but it might not become a beloved one because the man he plays is such a bitter pill. Read full review
60
Washington PostDesson Thomson
In the end, however, when all Pacino's demons are bared, they don't add up to the poignant punchline you were set up for. The movie seems to have two or three finales too many -- a disturbing trend in all too many films of late. Read full review
60
The New YorkerTerrence Rafferty
This is acting that chills the heart beyond any possibility of warming. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
There's no denying that Pacino's performance is superb. The rest of the movie plays like a bunch of inconsequentially strung together sequences. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Given the talent on board, there's an undeniable flair and effectiveness in certain scenes (such as Pacino dancing the tango with a stranger in a posh restaurant), but the meretricious calculation finally sticks in one's throat. Read full review
50
USA TodayMike Clark
A 2 1/2-hour movie with halves that don't quite mesh, it still gives Al Pacino a role that's a perfect fit. [23 Dec 1992 Pg. 01.D]
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Instead, you get a nominal character study that boasts a single mighty performance and one nifty scene; alas, both performance and scene exist in a narrative vacuum - the plot is non-existent and the pace makes the ice age seem hasty. Read full review
37
Rolling StonePeter Travers
The movie, however, is a crock. Read full review
More From This Movie

57 Critic Reviews

8.4 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL