One scathing report

In the summer of 1992, the air in Los Angeles was filled with suffocating heat. The Rodney King incident had escalated and become a globally watched political event, reflecting the intricate complexities of America's multicultural society. At the same time, the summer box office was ablaze with movies like "Basic Instinct", "Lethal Weapon 3", "Patriot Games", "Batman Returns", and "Unforgiven". Especially noteworthy was the film "Basic Instinct", which secured the top spot for five consecutive weeks, generating countless discussions and igniting the entire movie market of 1992.

As the market transitioned into autumn, it gradually quieted down, lacking impactful films to captivate the audience. September and October felt somewhat lackluster in the movie market.

In fact, Thanksgiving and Halloween had historically not been given much importance in North American cinema, or more accurately, the audience did not have the habit of going to the theaters during those holidays. This trend continued until the release of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in 2001, which unlocked the box office potential of November and turned it into a new treasure trove for the North American film market.

On the other hand, in 1998, "Shakespeare in Love", produced under the Weinstein Brothers' operation, triumphed over the absolute favorite "Saving Private Ryan" to win the Best Picture at the 71st Academy Awards. This result is still considered one of the Oscars' biggest disgraces, and it led to the definition of the awards season, with numerous art films being released from October to December, all striving for success in major award ceremonies and the coveted golden statue. This also brought a lively atmosphere to the year-end movie market.

However, in 1992, there was no explosive Thanksgiving release or the bustling awards season. In the three months leading up to Christmas, the movie market was completely desolate. Therefore, for professional film magazines, any small development could become the focus of their reporting.

For example, the upcoming film "Scent of a Woman", starring Hugo Lancaster, the reigning Worst Actor at the Golden Raspberry Awards, collaborating with the currently subdued Al Pacino, and directed by Martin Brest, who had been inactive for eight years, was set to premiere on October 16th. This combination was definitely intriguing. Another example was the film "A River Runs Through It" which had just been released a week ago. Industry insiders knew that this film was produced by Tracey Jacobs, and during the audition stage, Hugo had been eliminated and replaced by Brad Pitt. This clash of circumstances added to the excitement.

Nicholas Allum, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, naturally didn't want to miss out on such a great topic. He had been planning ahead for a week and was the first to predict the release situation of "Scent of a Woman."

"Brest once showcased his amazing comedic talent in "Beverly Hills Cop", but unfortunately, with the passage of time, that talent has dwindled. It is quite surprising that Brest is now challenging himself with a drama. Adapted from the Italian novel of the same name from 1974, "Scent of a Woman" is a heavy and profound film. Under Brest's direction, it is hard for us to have high expectations. When looking forward to the film, we don't even know where our focus should lie, whether it's the humor in the drama or the seriousness in the comedy.

Brest is not a skilled acting coach; he relies on the individual performances of the actors. "Beverly Hills Cop" thrived on Eddie Murphy's brilliant performance, and this time, Brest is pinning his hopes on Pacino and Lancaster.

Pacino's brilliance goes without saying. Although "The Godfather Part III" couldn't surpass the original classic, his personal acting skills are still beyond doubt. Pacino's calm demeanor and sudden bursts of excellent acting have been talked about endlessly, making him the biggest highlight of this project. However, it is questionable how much control Pacino alone can contribute and how much energy he can unleash, especially considering last year's terrible film "Frankie and Johnny", where he was almost engulfed by the entire movie.

So, what kind of performance Pacino can deliver as a blind character and how much energy he can unleash remain significant uncertainties. I have reason to believe that both Brest and Pacino are anxiously worried about the film's reputation, not only because they have lost control, but also because of the most unpredictable third party in recent movie history: Lancaster.

Lancaster's resume hasn't showcased any remarkable works for a very long time. More precisely, after "Dead Poets Society", Lancaster has been self-destructing. Winning the Worst Actor at the Golden Raspberry Awards was well-deserved, and his uncontrollable outburst during his acceptance speech can be understood as Lancaster being on the verge of a breakdown.

Alcoholism, car accidents, drug abuse, scandals... There are reasons on Lancaster's part that make everyone lose confidence. What's even more serious is that Lancaster's acting talent seems to have lost all its brilliance. In such a situation, he needs to perform in front of Pacino, which leaves no room for any hope. The movie relies on both Lancaster and Pacino to generate enough energy to attract the audience. Faced with Lancaster, who once contributed flamboyant, repulsive, ridiculous, and comic acting in "Hudson Hawk", it is hard to expect anything other than disappointment from the audience.

Before "Scent of a Woman", Lancaster auditioned for "A River Runs Through It" but failed. Last week, "A River Runs Through It" was officially released in twelve theaters, receiving applause, and even more pleasingly, Brad Pitt, who ultimately got the role, delivered an impressive performance, proving the wisdom of the production team.

Compared to the rising star Pitt, Lancaster falls far behind in all aspects other than his handsome appearance. His temperament, acting skills, reputation, and style all pale in comparison. It is foreseeable that these two actors may have opposite career paths in the film industry.

Returning to "Scent of a Woman", compared to Pacino's dominance, Brest and Lancaster will become the film's weaknesses, especially Lancaster's negative influence, which will have a fatal impact on the film.

Distributed by Universal Pictures, "Scent of a Woman" will have limited screenings in twenty theaters in the first week. The estimated box office for a single theater is around $8,000, and it's difficult to achieve more impressive results."

In this article, Nicholas almost entirely criticizes "Scent of a Woman". Although he gave some positive descriptions of Hugo after interviewing him on the set, Nicholas had never changed his negative view of the film.

In fact, Nicholas' viewpoint was just a drop in the ocean of general lament from major media outlets across the United States. Before the release of "Scent of a Woman," seven media outlets showed attention to the film and made early predictions. However, six of them had a pessimistic outlook on the film's prospects, even believing that it would face a devastating blow. The last media outlet's wording was cautious, expressing more expectations for Al Pacino.

Regarding Hugo's portrayal, all seven media outlets unanimously expressed doubt, and the endless negative impact of the Golden Raspberry Award had truly manifested itself. After the disastrous release of "Hudson Hawk" in May last year, which caused Hugo to be unemployed for eight months, a series of consequences followed, including the Golden Raspberry Award. No one had high hopes for Hugo's comeback; they just hoped he wouldn't destroy another film for the fourth time in a row.

The prediction from The Boston Globe even jokingly said, "The 13th Golden Raspberry Award nominations are not far away, let's pray Al won't be affected by Hugo."

As for box office predictions for "Scent of a Woman", since the film did not have a wide release but followed the pattern of an art film, starting with limited screenings and then adjusting the expansion strategy based on audience and professional critics' feedback. Only three out of the seven media outlets made predictions about the box office data for the limited screenings. The highest prediction came from the Los Angeles Times, estimating around $8,000 per theater. It seems that allowing Nicholas to have an exclusive interview on the set played a certain role.

In summary, the media's outlook on the release of "Scent of a Woman" is filled with lamentation. Even with Al Pacino's presence, the media finds it difficult to trust the film.

But the media's opinions were one thing. For Joseph, doing his job well was the most important thing. Unlike the previous premiere of "Final Analysis", this time it was Hugo's own work. Moreover, after the disastrous failure of "Hudson Hawk" in May last year, it had been seventeen months since Hugo had another film released. It was something Joseph couldn't afford to ignore.

As for Hugo himself, he found everything so miraculous. He came here in January and was busy shooting two films successively. After taking a long summer vacation for rest and adjustment, his first truly meaningful film was about to land in major theaters. And it was the North American film market, the center of global cinema. For Hugo, it still felt like an unreal dream, even though he had stayed in this land and era for over six months. But when Joseph told him that "Scent of a Woman" was about to be released, Hugo was still taken aback.

Compared to the premiere of "Final Analysis", with the approaching premiere of "Scent of a Woman", Hugo's inner tension was like a tide, appearing two to three times a day on schedule, making Hugo constantly in an anxious state. It was truly an ordeal.

"It's like making pancakes," Hugo said.