User Reviews

The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996): Dir: Barbra Streisand / Cast: Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, Lauren Bacall, Mimi Rogers, George Segal: Clever romantic comedy regarding relationships and our warped expectations. The two faces of the mirror could have a variety of meanings but the theme that emerges the strongest is the sex and marriage issue. Barbra Streisand removes sex to demonstrate the value of friendship. She plays a teacher who lives with her mother and is insecure with regards to her appearance. Jeff Bridges sits in on a teaching session and admires her methods. They strike up a friendship and agree that sex is ruining relationships. When they do marry the pressure of sex invades her. Intelligent film delivered with wit and humour by Streisand. She previously directed The Prince of Tides and Yentl. She plays a smart yet sympathetic woman of independence and insecurity. Jeff Bridges completes the chemistry as her husband. Strong supporting work by Lauren Bacall as Streisand's mother who brings comic wisdom. Mimi Rogers plays her sister whose husband was the sight of Streisand. Both roles are more or less comic placements yet portrayed with great care. Outside the leads, other roles are either brief or flat. While somewhat predictable it is still a wonderful portrait of relationships that make the mirror worth looking into. Score: 8 ½ / 10

"The Mirror Has Two Faces" is, actually, a great romantic comedy. It counts with all the elements of a successful one. It has a sympathetic main character(Barbra Streisand's Rose), a charming good looking man that falls in love with her (Jeff Bridges) and a great supporting cast(including an Oscar deserving performance from Lauren Bacall). But it's main problem is that it is directed by Barbra Streisand. Those who are familiarized with Streisand's previous work (Yentl, The prince of tides) will agree that she loves to be the center of her movies, and she hurts her films by making this, and "The mirror has two faces " is not the exception.

The story centers on Rose Morgan(Barbra Streisand), a literature teacher in Columbia's University, and on Gregory Larkin(Jeff Bridges), a math teacher on the same university. Gregory looks for a relationship based on mutual respect and not in physical attraction, and Rose looks for any relationship with an average good looking man. So when Rose's sister joins them by answering an internet advertisement put by Gregory, they begin to date and the even get married, without having any physical contact. But when Rose looks for it, Gregory argues with her and she decides to go to her home with her mother(Lauren Bacall).

Until this point of the film, Streisand looks at her character(Rose) with objectivity, never making of her a very desirable good looking woman. But in the second half of the film she works in her characteristic self absorbing way. Rose decides, thanks to her mother's advise, to change her appearance. So, she begins to do some exercise, to wear make up and very elegant clothes, and to eat less. But when Gregory looks at her, he only criticizes her and she goes from home telling him that she doesn't love him anymore. At the end, Gregory realizes that he loves Rose, and they both end up together in a very romantic closing scene.

Many people, specially critics, hated the movie arguing that it was another vanity project made by Sterisand, but it much more than that. "The mirror has two faces" is a serious analysis to the relationships and how the physical and intellectual part influences them. It is true that the movie would work better if Sterisand had chosen another woman to play her character, but at the end the result is a satisfying movie with great performances and a good story.

Let me just start off by saying this movie does NOT deserve the rating and reviews it has gotten. I was skeptical going in because of the low rating and how lost it had become in the endless sea of romance movies but I found myself in tears when I finished!

Barbra Streisand is a master, no doubt about it. Everything was carefully crafted from the pacing of the story to the complexities of the characters. You found yourself drawn into the storyline and the personalities of the characters. Jeff Bridges, Lauren Bacall and the rest did a fantastic job in selling the believability of their respective characters. There was glorious tension between the characters and you could see the shift in tone and emotions for them which is ESSENTIAL to creating a successful romance movie.

Now where I begin to disagree with the other reviews on this movie is the whole makeover part of the movie. I know we have been beaten to death with the terrible trope of the ugly duckling getting a makeover and suddenly becoming desirable and therefore equating worth to beauty. However, I dont think that's what's happening here. I think a lot of people miss that because what Barbra Streisand is doing is relating to a very specific sort of woman. The sort of woman who, admittedly, is not conventionally attractive and doesnt take care of herself but still is certainly not HIDEOUS. The sort of woman who has been brainwashed by her parents and society ever since childhood to believe she is ugly and not worthy and has in some cases lived in the shadow of a more beautiful sibling or mother. At that point, it doesnt matter whether you're actually ugly or not, what matters is what you've been led to believe. And so Rose's low self esteem and her firm belief that shes not attractive is very very realistic, especially when Gregory recoils away from her when she tries to seduce him and he even TELLS HER that he doesn't find her physically attractive even if we, the audience, dont necessarily agree. It's all about PERCEPTION. That scene and her reaction was painfully authentic. Not only that, but Barbra makes damn sure to mention that this isnt one of those terrible makeover tropes when she rejects Alex because she realizes he didnt find her worthy when she was her original self. And she tells him that hes not good enough for her because not only does she have the added bonus of being pretty now BUT she also loves herself and accepts who she is and WAS before the makeover. She sees that picture of herself as a child and realizes, by God I AM pretty naturally, there was nothing wrong with me as I had been led to believe.

I'm so glad I found this hidden gem, definitely worth the watch!

I admit this movie has flaws. It gets a bit too standard rom-com in its last 3rd, and I don't think many male viewers can (or want to) relate to a lead who nearly faints each time he encounters an attractive female. I agree also with other reviewers writing this film is a vanity project of Streisand (e.g. the reaction of the male students after she loses some pounds and wears nicer clothes - c'mon!).

On the other hand, the film just does so many things right that it ends up being very enjoyable (that is, if you like romantic comedies). The dialogue is smart, there are a lot of funny scenes, and especially the great chemistry between Streisand and Bridges as well as Streisand and Bacall stands out. Bacall steals every scene she is in and has the best one-liners, Bridges and Streisand also do a great job. I especially liked the scenes somewhere in the middle of the film, where both of them get more intimate (which is actually quite hot), followed by an argument. This argument just feels so rough and real. This more toned down acting is where Streisand really shines. It is also nice how Bridges comes to realize how much he misses his wife whilst he travels, which has nothing to do with how she changes her appearance later on. So it's not the typical ugly duckling story, where the male lead only shows interest after she turned into a swan (he actually rejects the swan - as probably much of the audience will do - we want the 'old Rose' back!). This is a nice contrast to Brosnan's character, whom he portrays as a wonderfully shallow, simple-minded pretty face.

Unfortunately, in trying to wrap things up, the film becomes a rather formulaic rom-com with cheesy ending. A bit more of fine-tuning by another director (removing the Streisand-vanity-scenes and the sometimes too strong female wishful thinking) could have made it a great flick. For me though, the acting (of the entire cast) and many funny and witty lines save this movie to be still well above average.

I don't understand the meaning of the title, although the leading actress did look in the mirror quite a bit, anyway, what appealed to me about seeing this film was a good cast, and the fact that produced and directed by Barbra Streisand. Basically college professor Gregory Larkin (Jeff Bridges) has been let down with sexual relationships many times, and places a personal advert to find a woman companion, only condition a good knowledge of something, and he has no care of looks and (although they wouldn't know) no sex appeal or interest. Then he meets plain English literature professor Rose Morgan (Golden Globe nominated Streisand), after her sister Claire (Mimi Rogers) answers the personal ad. For a long while it seems they both have the same opinions of how sex and true love can complicate a good relationship, and they eventually marry not for true love or sex, but just a good companionship. Of course Rose is getting very bored, and starts to get desperate for sex, and even though Gregory might be the same (slightly) he backs away from the opportunity. For a while, they split and she tries her chances with a man she once loved (and probably vice versa) before he married Claire, Alex (Pierce Brosnan). When that doesn't work she decides to change her image to be more appealing to herself and others, of course when Gregory sees he is quite shocked, but don't worry, he sees he has true feeling for her as well. Also starring Golden Globe winning, and Oscar and BAFTA nominated Lauren Bacall as Hannah Morgan, George Segal as Henry Fine, Brenda Vaccaro as Doris, Austin Pendleton as Barry and Elle Macpherson as Candice. There are a couple of giggly moments, and the cast of a few good stars kept me interested, but it did have its many moments of pure cheesiness, but still worth watching. The Oscar and Golden Globe nominated song "I Finally Found Someone" by Streisand and Bryan Adams in the end credits is good, if only Streisand and Bridges weren't doing a long dance in the streets. It was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Original Score for Marvin Hamlisch. Worth watching!

No one ever told her she was pretty growing up. So, Barbra had to make a self-loathing piece of reassurance that, yes, she is pretty and that, yes, the WASP handsome guy will fall in love with her. It didn't work out in "The Way We Were." But in her own production, she can give herself the happy ending she always wanted. And that, when James Brolin married her, she got in real life.

This movie goes around and around: "Are looks the only thing that matter?" Yes. No. Yes. No. Barbra rejects poor Austin Pendleton, the ugly, nerdy guy who pursues her. Why? Because he is ugly and nerdy. We see him later with a doppleganger girlfriend, as unattractive and nerdy as he is. That's it, implies Barbra. Ugly people only get ugly people. She decries superficial attraction, yet it's the only kind that she herself seeks. Why won't the handsome guy love her? Pierce Brosnan rejected her because she wasn't pretty. (Mimi Rogers is held up as the ideal. Really?) But when Barbra emerges reborn as "beautiful" she rejects him for his superficiality. Yet she had only been attracted to him for his looks. So, who is the superficial one?

This movie should be structured so that the "Ugly Duckling" is transforms into a swan. "The Girl Most Likely To," has this before/after structure. Stockard Channing goes from unibrow frump to svelte beauty. (It's the apex of physical self-loathing, written by Joan Rivers, no surprise.) But here, the vain Barbra can't let herself be seen as truly unattractive.Her "Before" is "Before and After." Barbra is beautifully photographed and every hair is in place. People say she never wears make-up, when clearly she is perfectly made up. She wants to be loved "warts and all," but let's get rid of the warts first.

And, because Barbra has been too vain to ever look truly unattractive, her reveal is unrevealing. She is still no great beauty - just someone trying very hard to look that way. Yes, hair and make-up are better. Yes, the (product placement) Donna Karan dresses are more flattering. But she is never going to look like the stunning Elle MacPherson, who shows up as Jeff Bridges' ex at the beginning of the movie.

Get over it, Barbra.

But she, like Joan Rivers, bore the indelible scars of rejection. And no amount of plastic surgery - for Joan - or plastic movie-making - for Barbra - will ever heal those wounds. I think it's kind of sad and pitiful.

Some people reading this review might think, "What about the rest of the movie?" It's nicely produced. The writing is quite heavy-handed. The best scenes are given to a wistful Lauren Bacall. She remembers being beautiful and mourns her own aging. But the movie is all about the relationship between attractiveness and sex and courtly love. Taken as a treatise on superficiality - it's not pretty.

Incredible as it seems, "The Mirror Has Two Faces" is based on a French film of 1958 directed by Andre Cayatte, something the creators acknowledge in the credits. The American version has nothing much in common with the Gallic model. The great Michelle Morgan was the star of the original, in which the viewer is asked to accept an ugly version of the radiant actress. Bourvil played the opposite lead.

This, being a Barbra Streisand project got a lavish production. Richard LaGravenese, wrote the adaptation to suit the talented Ms. Streisand, who had not attempted to direct anything after "The Prince of Tides", which came out in 1991. The vehicle was perfect for the star because in the film she is supposed to go from one of her kooky characters that she did so well, with a more serious side of her. The end result is a film that is pleasant, if a bit predictable.

Ms. Streisand plays Rose Morgan an English literature professor at Columbia University. She attracts the attention of Gregory Larkin, a mathematician, by the strength of her rapport with her students. Unknown to Rose, her sister Claire has decided to submit an ad in the personals as a way to find her a boyfriend. When the two finally meet, it's a match made in heaven. The only problem is that Greg does not believe in having sex, even the kind performed by a married couple.

Jeff Bridges plays Greg with flair with a good dose of chemistry between him and his co-star. Ms. Straisand does better during the first part of the film before it becomes more somber as Rose decides to leave Greg because there is nothing to hold them together. Lauren Bacall, Mimi Rogers, George Segal, Pierce Brosnan, Brenda Vaccaro, and Austin Pendleton are seen in the large supporting cast.

We remember the time when this film was shot in New York's Upper West Side where the filming went on for quite some time while the neighbors became angrier by the way the night schedule interfered with their daily routines. One certainly hope they might have enjoyed the looks of their area when the film was finally released!

The movie s riddled with cliches, but it addresses something rarely discussed. Beautiful people enjoy countless advantages in society, but furthermore, in current times dominated by the media, standards of beauty and concepts of true love are constantly manipulated and homogenized for commercial purposes. Jeff Bridges' character gives a tremendous summary of this problem, which according to him, prevents people from finding meaningful relationships as they try to hold on to false aspirations to youth, beauty and sex appeal. Still, both he and Barbra's character only fall in love with beautiful people. Jeff Bridges is gorgeous, and his character establishes a relationship with Barbra because he deliberately chooses her because she is unattractive and he can prove his theories on the subject. The movie still stumbles to offer a compassionate view of people who manage to fall in love. No matter its flaws, this movie contains a masterful performance by Lauren Bacall. Do not miss it!

How can you watch a movie made in 1996 in 2021 and not be pulled in every direction. Parts of this movie are ridiculous, parts are just awful, parts are gut-wrenching, parts I have lived through myself.

I am tired of Barbara Streisand trying (italics and underline)to be portrayed as NOT beautiful. She is gorgeous. She has always been gorgeous! I guess she was supposed to be overweight in this movie, but she was just wearing baggy clothes, but she STILL looked beautiful. She has always been beautiful. Those eyes, her lips, her cheekbones. Sure, the nose is her nose but it certainly doesn't make her ugly.

There is a deeper story in the movie than the character's looks. Again, in 1996, maybe it no one pulled at 'the loose thread', so to speak. But what was with the toxic relationship with her awful mother?! A fabulous performance by Lauren Bacall because I found myself grinding my teeth during most scenes she was in. It killed me when she did not add, "You ARE beautiful" after telling her she was a beautiful little girl. WHY is a Professor at Columbia still living with her perfectly healthy mother? THAT's the story. Instead, it's the 'ugly duckling' story and she ends up with not one but TWO handsome guys wanting her. Of course, Jeff Bridges loves her for who she is, not the new improved version.

I know this was a RomCom but there is an entire other story right there!

Wouldn't it have been nice if Barry (was that the name of little sad sack guy she kept canceling on?} ended up with a beautiful fiancé instead of a female version of himself - in keeping with the "It's all about looks" theme of the movie.

And what was with Pierce Brosnan's character suddenly lighting up a cigarette in the outdoor scene where he was telling her his wife left him. And then the two of them smoking in front of the fireplace. It was so totally bizarre. I think Big Tobacco paid a mighty 'product placement' fee for those two scenes.

I would recommend this movie to someone who needs to rehash some painful times in there life and look at them with a fresh perspective.

I know other people think highly of Streisand's skills as a singer and an actress, and I understand their reasons for feeling that way. In fact, I agree she was excellent in "Hello Dolly", "What's Up, Doc?" and "Funny Girl", I agree that she can belt out a Broadway show tune with the best of them, and I agree that she has enormous charisma.

But I am not a member of the Streisand-As-Diva Fan Club. As great as her talents are, her taste sucks, and she consistently overestimates and overreaches her talents in pursuit of really cheesy and juvenile self gratification. So we get misfires like "Yentl" (which Isaac Bashevis Singer hated), and we also get bloated exercises in ego,like her remake of "A Star Is Born", "The Prince Of Tides", "Nuts", and this piece of fish-wrap.

The problem with this movie isn't in her performance, which is good in the service of the script. The problem is in the writing, and it's the same problem with every other recent Streisand film: she wants to be viewed as some kind of beauty queen and sexual powerhouse, and apparently she also wants to be seen as 20-30 years younger than she actually is. But with her face and features, that just isn't going to happen. Well, if your definition of sexual powerhouse includes overwhelming belief in and seriousness about your talents (ie, Diva-like self-importance), maybe she could skate by there. But no one will ever include her in a Playboy calendar or a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Accept it, Barbra, and move on.

But the goldarn movie just won't let it rest. In every scene, even the ones where Streisand is supposed to be a dowdy ugly duckling, her skin is perfect, her makeup is perfect, the lighting on her is perfect, and her every line and delivery is calculated to frame her in the most sympathetic and flattering way possible. In every scene she's in (and Streisand is front and center 90% of the time), Streisand the director is shoving herself in the viewers' face, saying "Aren't I sexy? Aren't I precious? Aren't I actually the most winsome, lovable, attractive young thing you ever saw, even if the script says I can't get a man - yet?'

As Joe Queenan puts it, her entire 'transformation' from ugly duckling to desirable goddess "consists of losing six ounces, getting a frizzy poodle haircut, and buying a cheap dress." She looks exactly the same as before, only now Jeff Bridges' character is supposed to be stunned by her desirability and beg to take her back. And let's face it, even in the persona of a nerd math professor, Jeff is still one of the sexiest leading men of the last two decades. So this is about on the same level as me fantasizing about Dominique Swain begging me to take her back after I buy some new suits and lose an inch off my waist on a low carb diet.

And in response to Jeff begging to get back together, Streisand the director has Streisand the actress deliver an "I desired you once, but now I've moved beyond you" oration that is a patent by-the-numbers REVENGE fantasy put down; it's the speech composed in the fantasies of any girl who was ever dumped by any boy in the history of romance. Hell, it's not a speech, it's a bumper sticker. And it is delivered with such relish that you can literally see Barbra getting her own back from every unhappy romance or unrequited longing she ever felt. It is completely self indulgent and has a stale musty aura of intellectual and emotional self-diddling. IMO, this is supposed to be the emotional climax of the film, but it's got the maturity of an old "Virginia Slims" commercial.

On the positive side, this is an 'A' level production, with great sets and costumes, good performances from Lauren Bacall and Mimi Rogers, and even a few funny lines. And Barbra sounds great on the sound track singing the title piece.

Note to Barbra Streisand: You are one of the most admired and respected singers and actresses in the world. You have millions of dollars and unlimited license to undertake any recording project you want. You even look pretty good in a middle-aged-dynamic-businesswoman kind of way. You've won. Please, please, stop scoring easy points in self-indulgent movie fantasies about how gorgeous and young you are.