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Barbra Streisand’s brand brand new movie “The Mirror Has Two Faces” approaches the main topic of wedding warily along with wit, like a George Bernard Shaw play; two articulate people talk circles around love for 2 acts before dropping exhausted prior to the imperative that is biological the 3rd. Streisand plays Rose, a teacher of literary works who may have pretty much offered through to her wedding leads, whenever she fulfills Gregory (Jeff Bridges), a guy she really likes. He actually likes her, too. The key term right here are “really likes,” that are not exactly like “really really loves.” Rose, 40ish into the film, is within the dumps because of the wedding of her cousin (Mimi Rogers) up to a handsome brand new spouse (Pierce Brosnan). Rose’s own dating circle appears become restricted to a nerd with an infectious grin (Austin Pendleton). Her cousin, in desperation, answers an ad that is lonely-hearts and Rose and Gregory find on their own away on a date together.
Gregory may be the type or sort of guy whom believes he cannot work well if he is in love. Within an awkward and unconvincing scene that is early he could be giving a talk on mathematical concept as he places their ex-wife within the market, falters, blathers, and flees through the phase. Desperate, he calls a phone intercourse line (for advice, maybe maybe perhaps not intercourse) and therefore results in their lonely-hearts advertising plus the big date that is first Rose, from which he exclaims “beautiful!” while he talks about the sound waves on an oscilloscope while going to a concert.
Later, they discuss prime figures. He could be astonished by just how smart this woman is. This woman is astonished by simply how much she actually is drawn to him. Therefore attracted that whenever he proposes wedding she agrees to his terms: No intercourse, no real love, simply “a conference of two minds”–respect and relationship and none of this messy stuff to have in the way in which. This works well with a bit, in the bathroom until she gets carried away and puts on a sexy nightgown, and he locks himself.
The screenplay, by Richard LaGravenese, predicated on a youthful French movie, is such as for instance a Shaw play–”Pygmalion,” in fact, except that this Higgins has absolutely nothing to show their Eliza, and she’s every thing to show him. It is uncommon to locate a movie that discounts intelligently with problems of sex and love, rather than just assuming that everyone else in the display screen plus in the audience stocks the exact same culture that is popular.
It really is unusual, too, to get such spoken characters in a movie, and paying attention for them talk is just one of the pleasures of “The Mirror Has Two Faces.” There was a wonderful scene in which Rose and her mom (Lauren Bacall) discuss beauty. We come across a photograph of mckinney escort service Bacall at concerning the chronilogical age of 20, so we see Bacall now, stunning in a way that is different but old, additionally the child asks, “How made it happen feel? Being breathtaking?” “It ended up being wonderful,” her mom claims, so we have the eerie and magical sense that we have been hearing Streisand and Bacall talking about this. Mom then creates an image of the attractive infant, which Streisand assumes is of her sibling. But it is a photo of by by herself. “You had been this type of breathtaking baby,” the caretaker claims, and Rose states, “Thanks for showing me personally this photo, mother.” It is a fantastic scene.
It causes a dependable film clichГ©, in which Rose transforms by herself through workout, wardrobe and makeup products, as a beauty. Gregory has kept following the sex that is awkward, nevertheless now he really wants to keep coming back, and she believes possibly she will seduce him. Change scenes are standard into the movies, but that one pays off within an way that is unexpected ultimately causing a payoff the film works difficult for, and earns.
Some quibbles. Where is Streisand’s household from? Streisand talks along with her typical nyc accent, Bacall appears mid-Atlantic, and Mimi Rogers appears WASP while the cousin. And even though the Streisand character is articulate and smart in many scenes, her intelligence level falters within the key scene designed to establish it, as she lectures her Columbia lit pupils. She comes across similar to an inspirational after-dinner presenter by having a standup comic’s design than just like a literary works teacher; in the current better schools, the pupils would quickly pass the term that she ended up being a showboat that is lightweight.