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19 out of 20 people found the following review useful: Mirrors, Puccini, and the triumphant Ugly Duckling, 6 November 2005 Author: theowinthrop from United States
This was the third film directed and starring Barbara Streisand. It did get a whopping big two Oscar nominations for the best song and for best supporting actress (Lauren Bacall). Neither won. Ms Streisand hit the Oscar gold with best actress for FUNNY GIRL, and since then has met with indifferent success - and almost none with her three directed films. This film is a modern spin on Hans Christian Anderson's tale of the Ugly Duckling. She is the "homely" daughter of Lauren Bacall, a beauty specialist, and her younger sister Mimi Rogers is also beautiful to look at. But Mimi has had two unsuccessful marriages, and is seen at the start having her third marriage - this time to Pierce Brosnan, who initially showed an interest in Streisand. Throughout her entire life she has been having a low esteem problem regarding sex. She is seen breaking dates with Austin Pendleton. We learn her closest friend is Brenda Vaccaro, who has also failed to do well with men. Yet she is a highly articulate and intelligent English professor at Columbia University. It is Columbia University where the other part of this equation is found. Jeff Bridges is a leading figure in the math department. He is finding it difficult to recover from repeated failed sexual relationships. So he puts an add in the newspaper requesting to meet a suitable mate. Mimi Rogers notices the ad, and puts in a response for Streisand. After watching Streisand handle her English class (far better than Bridges can handle his calculus course), he calls her up and sets up a date.Bridges has worked out a perfect solution for his sexual failures. He will marry a woman he can be chummy with, who is intelligent, and who will not require a sexual relationship (and who is so plain looking as not to invite his own sexual responses). Streisand follows this, not knowing to be insulted or to go along. Finally she agrees to go along with it, and they get married. But can they maintain this palsy-walsy pseudo-marriage, or it doomed?Bacall gave a terrific performance as an apparently bitchy woman, who likes to show up her younger daughter (even at the latter's wedding), but who turns out to be more caring and wise than we first suspected. Brosnan gives a good performance, but it could have used a few filler scenes to broaden his character's history (we don't know how he and Streisand first met, nor how Rogers stole him away). Bridges is wonderful as a variant on the absent minded professor, who can't see the trees for the forest he wishes to plant. George Segal (who co-starred with Streisand in THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT two decades earlier) is good as Bridges' friend who sees too clearly how wrong-headed the experiment is. Rogers does well as a nymphomaniac who does not mind marriage as a badge of sexual success, but cannot stand the actual reason for that institution. In the end Streisand does triumph - and she does hear Puccini in her ecstasy (TURANDOT by the way). You see, you are supposed to "hear" great romantic music - especially Puccini - when achieving sexual climax. The film's title is a reminder of the whole issue of surface appearance that bedevils Streisand's ugly duckling (and several other characters too). It is a reminder of dressing up for dating, of looking attractive to men, and of the fact that we face ourselves in the mirror - and so do we face ourselves honestly or lying to ourselves? But watch carefully - in many scenes Streisand will shoot the scene from the point of view of the mirror. It becomes an all encompassing theme in this wonderful film.
14 out of 19 people found the following review useful: I can tell you: Wonderful! On the other hand..., 29 December 1998 Author: Dominik Kleebach (dominikkhs@aol.com) from Surheim, Germany
The mirror has two faces: Barbra Streisand and ... surprise! ... Barbra Streisand! More explicit: the funny Barbra Streisand and the divine Barbra Streisand. Well, this miraculous metamorphosis is of course kind of disgusting and I wouldn't be the first person to argue that Barbra Streisand has a tendency to fancy herself pretty much (and I myself was already able to tell so from the unnecessarily long ending of "The Prince of Tides" - a very good movie). But as annoying as it may sometimes be, this is an extremely well-done and multi-faceted movie. Let me try to tell you, why I voted "7".It starts rather mediocre when Streisand and Jeff Bridges get to know each other, talk some silly stuff and behave like little children. From time to time it gives a number of very good lines to Lauren Bacall, who is perfect as Streisand's mother. By the time Streisand and Bridges get married you are tempted to say: "Yes, very nice, but it's crap actually, isn't it?" But you won't think of saying that in the end.The movie is a romantic comedy - containing a couple of cliches, fine - but with a new, non-cliche structure. This is no kitsch, not at all, oh no! Instead, it's made up of very good lines and very truthful moments. These are connected in a way that makes our emotion rise but leaves us unable to tell which words, which gestures made it rise. How come? The romance doesn't develop in the way we would expect it and have seen it many times before, no, this romantic comedy goes the long way round: First there is only a small deal of attraction, then there is previously unknown disillusionment - a black hole almost - and then love enters the stage. The final romantic scene fits into romantic comedy conventions, but it also fits into the picture and Streisand and Bridges deserve it. What a wonderful movie!Basically Barbra Streisand is a good actress, but she loves exaggerating. She is able to manage difficult scenes, but she tries to be funny where being funny can't work and sometimes she's just hopping through the scene like a twittering sparrow instead of performing the emotions required for that scene. And after her metamorphosis she's more interested in her make-up than in her character.Lauren Bacall plays a mean, self-addicted and vain old beast with a heart and a vulnerable soul. The scene where mother and daughter talk openly in the kitchen is wonderful. Even Pierce Brosnan is better than I would have expected.Finally, the movie shows us the great versatility of Jeff Bridges: you've never seen him so very soft before (rude as he was in "The Fabulous Baker Boys", cool in "Nadine" or smooth and evil in "Jagged Edge"). However, he is exaggerating, too: which man can act this untruthful and affected?! In the scenes from Streisand's and his marriage his character is almost eerie - may this be good or bad for the movie...
9 out of 11 people found the following review useful: A wonderful film!, 24 March 2003 Author: rdvinct
The Mirror Has Two Faces is one of Barbra's finest works. In this movie you have two people,(Barbra and Jeff Bridges),who are both weary and skeptical about "true" love, but both have different outlooks on it. Barbra is optimistic and hopeful, while Jeff Bridges feels that the only way to make a relationship last is to completely take the sex out of it and have a loving friendship only,(one based strictly on companionship). The movie explores both of the main characters inner fears and inner struggles in a way that, not unless you're not human, you can certainly relate with. For instance: In reality, Barbra's character felt inwardly about herself that she wasn't good enough....wasn't attractive enough. She liked the idea of marrying Jeff Bridges character under the premise of strictly a loving companionship only because her character feels...well, my goodness! Here's a really handsome man that really likes me and likes being with me. He wants to take sex out of the equation, but...that's okay. It's NOT what I really want, but I'll "SETTLE". On the other hand, Jeff Bridges character, Gregory, feels that with all his failed relationships of the past, that if he takes sex out of the picture, that maybe, just maybe, it'll last. He wants a true, loving, one on one relationship with another woman but he really doesn't want to have it be without physical love either. But...out of fear that it wont last, he decides that he's got to take the physical part out of it, even though deep down inside, he doesn't really want that. So...he "SETTLES" as well. In reality, they have both truly fallen in love with each other, but both are trying to abide by what they both agreed to; a loving friendship only, with absolutely no physical love. This creates many, many tense situations between them that end up creating very funny scenes and lines. Theres a scene right after they get married and the two of them are in their home, all done for the day unpacking and getting settled. Jeff Bridge's character says to Barbra's..."So! What do you want to do now?" Barbra, innocently meaning to suggest they both go to sleep, shrugs her shoulders and says..."Go to bed". Jeff's eyes get all nervous looking and he starts having difficulty breathing. Barbra's character replies..."No! I mean, to sleep, that is! One goes to bed...to sleep!" A little later on she is unloading all this frustration and tension to her sister Claire in a phone conversation. She says..."I don't know how to ask for it Claire!" Meaning sex. She continues to say..."Sometimes we're so "polite" to each other I feel like we're two roommates living in a charm school!" Her sister replies..."Just give him a "look" that makes him "know" you want sex!" Barbra's character then replies..."I tried that once. He thought I had something in my eye!" Yes indeed, there are many great moments in this film. In the end, what's great is that both of the characters understand that what they did was "settle", and "settling", especially with something as important as true love is never a good idea. But more importantly, they learn that in the end, anything truly worthwhile, sometimes you have to take risks for. Unless you are really that jaded, you can not leave this movie by it's end without feeling,(even if just a little),good! The supporting cast is great, including Lauren Bacall, Brenda Vacaro and George Segal. A wonderful film. Truly one of Barbra's finest.
11 out of 15 people found the following review useful: Barbra Makes Cast Shine, 19 July 2000 Author: zbornak from Vienna, West Virginia
Let me just say that despite mixed reviews and public jesting, if it weren't Barbra Streisand that made this movie and it were someone else, no one would make fun of it like they do. Everyone just likes to pick on Barbra. But this movie is actually good! This film, about a man (Jeff Bridges) who goes looking for a nonsexual relationship and finds it with a middle-aged dateless professor (Barbra Streisand). As the two leads, these actors shine immensely! Mimi Rogers and Brenda Vaccaro are equally good in their supporting and often comic roles, as is George Segal. But the star of this movie, I must say, is Lauren Bacall as Streisand's beautifully aging mother. Bacall, who is not really known for her comedy roles, took the role and ran with it, making her character hilarious at times, heart-pouring at others. She is terrific! As for the actual storyline of the movie, it is somewhat predictable in its final outcome, but the routes it takes along the way are always interesting. The music is terrific; who doesn't like Luciano Pavarotti's "Nessun Dorma"? A very delightful romantic comedy!
8 out of 10 people found the following review useful: A thoroughly enjoyable film!, 14 September 2005 Author: annac225 from Australia
For all those people out there who are thinking 'how could a movie directed by and starring Barbra Streisand be good?' please leave your preconceptions at the door! This film, in my opinion, is a thoroughly enjoyable and delightful romantic comedy.Babs stars as Rose, a Professor of Literature at Columbia University in New York who is basically, desperate and dateless. Jeff Bridges (in a humorous and charming performance) plays Professor Gregory Larkin, a man who is constantly losing his mind over unobtainable women. In his frustration and belief that "sexual attraction ruins all relationships", he decides to place an ad in the paper for a female companion, "appearance unimportant". When Rose's sister (Mimi Rogers) answers the ad on her behalf, the 2 begin a relationship that eventually reveals what love is really all about.This film is funny, moving and romantic. My husband really doesn't really enjoy it, which could indicate the average male's perspective, but I'd highly recommend it for someone looking for a soppy night in!
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Your Own Private Math Party, 10 January 2008 Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
The Mirror Has Two Faces is one of those old fashioned romance stories, in which Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges prove that love can be had in middle age and romance might even be better at that point.Both Streisand and Bridges are a pair of Columbia University professors, she of English, him of Mathematics. They've come to opposite conclusions about life and love. Barbra wants some love in her life, but Bridges having been burned a little too often in relationships is swearing off sex. I like what director Streisand did with Bridges's character. I can identify with the students in his class, you spell it B-O-R-I-N-G. There are some people who are turned on by math, I'm not one of them. I sat through too many teachers who could not pique my interest in the slightest and many who were like Bridges as Barbra describes him, having his own math party at the blackboard. No one ever made it relevant for me in my academic career.Barbra didn't do too bad with the rest of the cast which includes her mother Lauren Bacall, her sister Mimi Rogers, her wolfish brother-in-law Pierce Brosnan, best friend Brenda Vaccaro, and Bridges best friend George Segal who is a cheerful middle aged hedonist and loving every minute of it.Lauren Bacall got her one Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and I thought sure she would cap her career with that Oscar. She lost to Juliette Binoche for The English Patient. But Bacall is absolutely stunning as the mother who Barbra convinces that her life isn't over either.For the acclaim it got, The Mirror Has Two Faces should have gotten a lot more, including a Best Director nomination for Barbra Streisand. And this review is dedicated to all of us who had to sit through a boring professor having his own private math party at the blackboard.
13 out of 22 people found the following review useful: My Favorite Film, 18 March 2000 Author: countersign (countersign@dellnet.com) from Cincinnati, OH
This film is my favorite film because I love Barbra's talent and charisma! The film has major heavy hitters. I knew everyone in the cast! Even Lauren Bacall was in this ! I thought Babs looked better at the beginning than in the end. I couldn't function through the week if I didn't see this film ! I ain't kidding. The movies beginning got off to a good start and continued to develop interest. I recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of Babs and hasn't seen it. Even though the critics hated the film it still was fun and sort of like Cinderella in ways. Great Soundtrack! Lots of great moments and see it around Thanksgiving time, I did and I loved it10/10
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Great, great, great and very sweet movie!!, 15 February 2005 Author: jesy-1 from Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Mirror has Two Faces is a very beautiful movie, directed by the brilliant Barbra Streisand. It tells the story about Gregory, a math teacher at Columbian University, who doesn't believe that sex and love should go together, that's the reason why he meets Rose, because he wants a relationship without sex. When they get married Rose needs to feel different things but Gregory does not want to have sex with her, so Rose decides to change his appearance for her husband, but she does not know that Gregory loves her just in the way she is. Beautiful love story,about human relations and that you discover that you love someone when is far. Great performances from Barbra Sreisand who plays a wonderful Rose Morgan, who doesn't believe in her real beauty, and Jeff Bridges who plays the professor who is not interested in sex, Gregory. Without doubts is one of the best movies from 1996 and is one of the best romantic films ever, because it shows very well the real mean of love, that it is stronger than another things without importance. If you love Barbra Sreisand's movies, and good love stories you have to see "The Mirror Has Two Faces". My score: 10/10
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Good exercise of star's prerogative, 6 April 2004 Author: VirginiaK_NYC from New York, NY
I think I put this on my Netflix list because I was in a Jeff Bridges mood - anyhow it arrived in the mail and I was happy to watch it. My main reaction: this is a great illustration of how much fun it must be to be able to make yourself just the movie you want to.In this movie, Barbra Streisand is able to do the following: be a super-smart but plain-looking woman professor who is loved by her students; as this character, and against her expectations, get herself a man who's both hunky and brilliant (Jeff Bridges); go through an ugly duckling-swan transformation; and have Lauren Bacall for her mother (though the mother is pretty toxic until fairly far along).Pretty satisfying if you're looking for a feel-good story with a bit of a feminist spin. I wish however that someone had asked me for my opinion about the makeover, the body and dress were fine (from shapeless to fit & foxy), but oh, that hair!!! Why not really splashy blonde, or leave it alone, instead of that too-silvery highlighted frizz? And why no red lipstick? Lauren Bacall was right, she needed more color.The bit of psychologizing between Barbra & Mom was effective as far as I was concerned, and I like seeing the potential it released in our Barbra. Overall - a B+ chickflick, a good resource if you can't watch any more Hugh Grant or Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan stories & need a nice sniffle.
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: What was the problem with the character before?, 31 March 2004 Author: lougarry1 from La La LAnd
About the only redeeming characteristics are that Jeff Bridges' character realizes that he has been a schmuck, and Lauren Bacall's character realized how hurtful the cumulative effect of words can be. Otherwise, I found myself becoming annoyed at the overall message.First off, why must a woman re-make herself totally in order to be seen as sexually attractive? Rose looked far better at the start of the movie than she did at the end. Secondly, What was wrong with the way "Rose" looked at the start of the movie? Totally comfortable, quirky, and sensible. And the idea that a size eight is considered "fat" .... well, I just rolled at that one.Rose does repudiate sheer looks by the end of the film, but the moment is almost too tiny to be noticed. The bulk of the film shows a woman thinking she's ugly, when she is far from it (but that's a Streisand trope: Babs, you have a big nose, and who cares? You look fine and very attractive), and thinking that comfortable clothes mean frumpiness. It encourages the over-awareness of body--since when has a size eight been "too fat"?????? Basically, Rose's re-awakening to the importance of mind and self, not external standards of beauty, is too little to compensate for all the rest of the film.
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