"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.
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.