The legendary Al Pacino (The Godfather, Scarface) once again proves that he is one of cinema’s finest actors with his Academy Award®-winning* portrayal of Frank Slade, an overbearing retired Lieutenant Colonel. Slade, who is blind, hires young prep student Charlie Simms (Chris O’Donnell, NCIS: Los Angeles, Batman Forever) as his assistant, and the two very different men embark on a wild weekend trip that will change both of their lives forever. Directed by Martin Brest (Midnight Run, Meet Joe Black) and featuring supporting performances from Gabrielle Anwar, Bradley Whitford, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Scent Of A Woman is a heartwarming and heart-wrenching tale of opposites attracting.

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Video Quality

Shout! Studios presents Scent of a Woman with an exemplary 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative supervised by director Martin Brest with Dolby Vision/HDR. The film was previously released by Universal on Blu-Ray in 2012 from an older master that was very disappointing due to being overly processed. This new presentation is stunning, and it finally gives the film the presentation it deserves. Even if you are not yet 4K UHD capable, this new release comes with a Blu-Ray sourced from the same new 4K master that improves upon the previous Blu-Ray.

The implementation of Dolby Vision/HDR for deep, vital color output dials in every hue to truly unbelievable levels with its depth and nuance. For a film taking place over Thanksgiving weekend, you are bound to have lots of autumnal flourishes, and every rich color beams off the screen with a notable prominence. Highlights are controlled with no evidence of blooming in any bright light source or open skies. Black levels are steady with nothing in the way of crush or banding present even in the darker portions of the frame. This disc handles every environmental change with ease.

While the previous transfer obliterated fine detail, discrete texture and clarity are first-rate here due to the natural film grain that remains intact. The grain resolves faithfully with nothing ever feeling noisy or clumpy. The image does not exhibit any signs of damage thanks to the restoration efforts. The subtle features on display in the outfits and within the production design are some of the most impressive elements of this image. This presentation is true to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more tactile. There are no major digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. This presentation is an invaluable effort from the team at Shout! Studios.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track which captures the complexities of the soundscape. The stereo track proves to be the more consistent listening experience with a good amount of power emanating from the speakers. One of our favorite aspects of the movie is the terrific score from Thomas Newman, and every note flows through with respectable fidelity. The fiery dialogue comes through clearly with every outburst. There do not seem to be any egregious instances of age-related wear and tear. The soundscape within New York City is realized with great care. These tracks provide a listening experience that deftly captures the artistic intent of this talky narrative. Shout! Studios has come through in good form. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

One Last Tour of the Battlefield: Directing Scent of a Woman – Interview with Director Martin Brest: A stellar new 51-minute interview with the filmmaker in which he discusses getting into bed with Universal through bringing them Midnight Run, bringing new context to this remake, why he wanted someone else to write this film, settling on a look for Al Pacino, unplanned moments that were caught on film, the different shooting locations that were utilized, working with the performers, and so much more.

Just Tango On – Editing Scent of a Woman – Interview with Co-Editor Michael Tronick: A new nearly 22-minute interview with the editor in which he discusses his relationship with Martin Brest, how he got involved with Scent of a Woman, how he went about editing certain scenes, and more.

Final Thoughts

Scent of a Woman feels like an artifact of ‘90s cinema in a way that we greatly admire and miss. This adult drama, driven mostly by dialogue, was released by a major studio, was a notable box office success, and garnered a few Oscar nominations. This is not the story of a real-life celebrity, and it is not based on a major piece of intellectual property. You simply have one of our great actors delivering an unforgettable performance to sell the emotional honesty of an unlikely kinship. It is earnest in its execution, but that is a breath of fresh air in a society so poisoned by irony. Even with its sizable runtime, the film breezes by and sticks with you with every viewing. Shout! Studios has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts a tremendous A/V presentation and a worthy assortment of supplemental features. Highly Recommended

Scent of a Woman (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shout! Studios has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.