THE FACE OF LOVE: who is she really in love with?

Ed Harris and Annette Bening in THE FACE OF LOVE

Here’s an underrated 2014 romance that most of us didn’t get to see in theaters: The Face of Love.

Annette Bening plays a woman whose husband suddenly dies, and she is plunged into an immediate and harsh sense of loss.  She goes on with her life and then is surprised to meet a man who is attracted to her.  They begin to date and fast develop a serious bond.  Here’s the kicker – the new boyfriend looks EXACTLY like her late husband (both are played by Ed Harris).  You know that eventually he is going to find out, and that eventually her kids and friends are going to find out, and that people are going to think this is very weird.  Those characters – and the audience – will wonder whether she is in love with this new man – or in love with the image of her late husband.

As one would expect, Bening and Harris both give compelling performances.  The scene where the new guy asks her out on a date is especially fun.  The Face of Love is a worthwhile watch.

The Face of Love is available to stream from Amazon.

DVD/Stream of the Week: THE FACE OF LOVE: who is she really in love with?

Ed Harris and Annette Bening in THE FACE OF LOVE
Ed Harris and Annette Bening in THE FACE OF LOVE

Here’s an underrated 2014 romance that most of us didn’t get to see in theaters: The Face of Love.

Annette Bening plays a woman whose husband suddenly dies, and she is plunged into an immediate and harsh sense of loss.  She goes on with her life and then is surprised to meet a man who is attracted to her.  They begin to date and fast develop a serious bond.  Here’s the kicker – the new boyfriend looks EXACTLY like her late husband (both are played by Ed Harris).  You know that eventually he is going to find out, and that eventually her kids and friends are going to find out, and that people are going to think this is very weird.  Those characters – and the audience – will wonder whether she is in love with this new man – in love with the image of her husband.

As one would expect, Bening and Harris both give compelling performances.  The scene where the new guy asks her out on a date is especially fun.  The Face of Love is a worthwhile watch.

The Face of Love is available on DVD from Netflix and streaming from Amazon, iTunes, YouTube, Google Play and Xbox Video.

The Way Back

The Way Back is inspired by the story of a 1940 escape from a Siberian prison; three men slipped out of the gulag and walked out of Siberia, across Mongolia, across China’s Gobi Desert, through Tibet and over the Himalayas to freedom in India – a trek of 4000 miles.  This is not a spoiler, because, at the very beginning of the movie, we are told that three men make it from the gulags to India.  The remaining dramatic tension is in finding out which three of the seven who start the journey will finish it.

Of course, director Peter Weir (Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Year of Living Dangerously, Witness, Master and Commander) knows how to make a movie, and it is beautifully shot on locations chosen to illustrate the magnitude of the distances and the challenges.  It is well acted, especially by Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Saoirse Ronan and Colin Farrell.

It’s a tremendous survival tale that results in a good, but not great movie.  It comes down to this:  eleven months of trudging through dangerous, unfamiliar territory while suffering from starvation and exposure is really impressive, but not that engaging.

Touching Home

Touching Home is a little movie with a big performance by Ed Harris  The film was written and directed by and stars the Miller twins, Logan and Noah, who tell the story of their own alcoholic father.  The authenticity of the writing and Harris’ performance make this an exceptionally realistic depiction of alcoholism.

Touching Home was also shot on location in the Miller’s home turf of western Marin County, California, around Lagunitas and Bodega.  Those familiar with West Marin will recognize many locations.