THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES
US, 1996, 121 minutes, Colour.
Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, Lauren Bacall, Mimi Rogers, Pierce Brosnan, George Segal, Brenda Vaccaro, Austin Pendleton, Elle Mac Pherson.
Directed by Barbra Streisand.
A crowd-pleaser with laughter and tears, star turns and a nice feel about it. And it's largely the work of Barbra Streisand who stars, directs, produces and has composed some of the score. She is Rose, an English professor with a winning way with students and some theories on romantic love - but she lives at home with her exceedingly vain beautician mother, Lauren Bacall. He, Greg (Jeff Bridges) is a bright maths professor who bores his class stiff but who finds romance and intellectual compatibility with Rose. The stars play well off each other and Lauren Bacall offers a clever parody of her image. It may be more than a little implausible, but who would be a spoil sport to deny that it is very pleasing light entertainment? Old-fashioned romantic comedy.
1.The work of Barbra Streisand? Her starring role (and her transformation from ugly duckling to glamorous)? Her direction? The music, the song?
2.An American feelgood movie? A contemporary fairy tale? Credibility as realistic story? Credibility as fairy tale?
3.The original story being a French film, the adaptation of the French story to American characters and conditions?
4.The visuals of New York, the city, the apartments, the streets, the university? Authentic and real? The musical score, the range of songs?
5.The theme of love and romance? Rose's lecture, the theme of courtly love, the difference between courtly love and marriage, love with passion? Rose dramatising her lecture? The contrast with Greg, his hearing the lecture but not hearing it? A man of theory and facts?
1.The film references, Casablanca, Brief Encounter, Lawrence of Arabia? The musical score – and the final theme song?
2.Greg, mathematics, his boring lectures, back to the students, writing on the board, the class and their reaction (and his puzzle about students staying or not)? Leaving early, going to the launch of his book, his speech about his book taking fourteen years, Henry and his advice, his plan, the speech, Candice arriving, his distraction, her legs? His speech becoming a mess? With her, his asking advice of Henry, going home with her? Discovering her stances, using him to make her boyfriend jealous?
3.Greg’s decision about friendship, platonic love, sexuality? His phone call, the bored answerer, her advice about an advertisement?
4.Rose, her appearance, at home, the tensions with her mother? Claire’s wedding, the preparations, makeup, her dress? The ceremony, Doris and her friendship, chatting? Possibilities? The ugly duckling – but later, with her mother, the hairpiece for the outing with Greg and the irony of its blowing off in the taxi? At home with her meals? Her mother showing her the photo, the pretty baby, herself?
5.Her lecture, the class and their listening? Ideas? Enjoying it? Greg phoning her, her half-listening, the decision to go out? Going to the concert? The meal, her mother fixing up her hair, the taxi ride? Greg’s presuppositions about relationships? Their talking, her interest in maths, asking him to explain things more clearly? Greg and his lecture? Her interest in baseball, her explaining it to Greg, in mathematical terms, his using it in the class, the class actually responding – and staying? The further dates?
6.The progress, going out, talking, romantic love, not sexual love? Rose and her disappointment? Watching Brief Encounter? Lawrence of Arabia and his going to sleep? Alex and his unwanted attentions to her?
7.Claire, sister, confident, placing the ad, answering the phone to Greg? The wedding, love for Alex? Alex and his former love for Rose? The meeting, the meal? Claire and her exasperation? Rose lying about Alex?
8.Her mother, talking about burying her husband, raising two daughters, her work as a beautician, her criticisms of her daughter, fixing her hair? Sardonic remarks? Her dependence on her? Greg arriving for the meal? Her emphasis on manners? Greg and his taking Rose’s side, informal eating? The mother asking him his intentions?
9.The sketch of Doris, friend, confidante? Support?
10.Henry, friendship with Greg, his girlfriends, at the launch of the book, at the concert?
11.Barry, Rose not wanting to go out with him, wanting to watch the baseball, later meeting him with his fiancée?
12.The girl student with her crush on Greg?
13.The issue of romantic love and sex? Rose and her disappointment, Greg and his change of attitude? The beginning of full love? Dancing in the New York streets?
14.the title, images, reflections?
