STREISAND'S MESSAGE SURPASSES `MIRROR' IMAGE.Byline: Bob Strauss Daily News Film Critic If there were ever any doubts that Barbra Streisand is just adorable, ``The Mirror Has Two Faces'' puts them all to rest. Whether looking frumpy frump n. 1. A girl or woman regarded as dull, plain, or unfashionable. 2. A person regarded as colorless and primly sedate. or fabulous, acting nerdy or neurotic, this all-Barbra extravaganza is the superstar's most persuasive testament yet to her own winsome win·some adj. Charming, often in a childlike or naive way. [Middle English winsum, from Old English wynsum : from wynn, joy; see wen-1 irresistibility. What, you may ask, makes this romantic comedy a greater self-tribute than such landmark Streisand ego-fests as ``A Star Is Born,'' ``Nuts'' and ``The Prince of Tides''? Despite an unbelievable premise and a wretched set-up, the movie ultimately digs deeper than ever before into the insecurity and narcissism narcissism (närsĭs`ĭzəm), Freudian term, drawn from the Greek myth of Narcissus, indicating an exclusive self-absorption. In psychoanalysis, narcissism is considered a normal stage in the development of children. that so tensely balance her popular persona. Synthetic as the whole project is, it's not just all about Barbra, but all about her from the inside out. In the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of this orgy of self-revelation, Streisand stirs up a contradictory stew of wider ideas about true and surface beauty, neediness and self-esteem and the infinite, devious ways in which men try to control and objectify ob·jec·ti·fy tr.v. ob·jec·ti·fied, ob·jec·ti·fy·ing, ob·jec·ti·fies 1. To present or regard as an object: "Because we have objectified animals, we are able to treat them impersonally" women. In fact, Streisand the director turns that last one right back on the boys - Jeff Bridges and Pierce Brosnan set the standards of male desirability here. And to thicken the psychological soup, she even hauls in Lauren Bacall (at her grand, imperious best) to play her vain mother and take the blame for every emotional wound men haven't inflicted. Streisand is Columbia professor Rose Morgan. She's brilliant, insightful, witty; she loves baseball and eats her food in an amusingly quirky manner. For some reason, though, Rose never has caught on to the most basic of grooming tricks - odder still since her live-in mother, Hannah, is a professional beautician. Anyway, Rose's prettier sister Claire (Mimi Rogers) marries the hunky hun·ky 1 n. pl. hun·kies Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a person, especially a laborer, from east-central Europe. idiot (Brosnan) Rose adores from afar. Pretty depressing for a 50-something duckling duckling baby duck. who we keep being told looks funny, even though at her frowziest she's still lit better than Cindy Crawford ever dreamed of (cinematographer Dante Spinotti was replaced halfway through production by the more Barbra-friendly Andrzej Bartkowiak). Anyway, as luck would have it, cute but dull Columbia math professor Gregory Larkin (Bridges) has had it with this logic-skewing lust thing. Whenever a beautiful woman - Elle MacPherson plays one of them - expresses interest, he completely loses control. So he advertises for, essentially, an unattractive soulmate soulmate n → compañero/a del alma . Claire sees the ad, sets up a blind date for Rose, and it's like at first sight. But even when Gregory pops the question, it's with platonic intentions. Rose marries him anyway, and spends the rest of the movie trying to turn the polite dolt on. Little realizing that she's having the desired effect and terrifying ter·ri·fy tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. the poor man, Rose finally goes for that sexy makeover her mom's been advocating for the past quarter century. But Greg's not into that, either, or something ... At this point, frankly, I lost all track of everybody's motivation except Rose's (she just wants to be loved, loved, loved, and not just for her mind). It's astonishing a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. that a writer the caliber of Richard LaGravenese (``A Little Princess A Little Princess is a 1905 children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is a revised and expanded version of Burnett's 1888 serialized novella entitled Sara Crewe: or, What happened at Miss Minchin's boarding school, which was published in St. ,'' ``Unstrung Heroes,'' ``The Bridges of Madison County'') could confuse a scenario as thoroughly as he did this one, let alone write the sub-sitcom dialogue that mars the movie's first half hour. Bridges, especially, is undone by the screwball screw·ball n. 1. Baseball A pitched ball that curves in the direction opposite to that of a normal curve ball. 2. Slang An eccentric, impulsively whimsical, or irrational person. adj. artificiality of the character development here. Yet the general sense of cluelessness actually reinforces the film's ambience of romantic chaos. And it plays to every strength Streisand possesses, enabling her to turn her overbearing vulnerability into a truly alluring, erotic force. You may not be able to buy the plot of ``The Mirror Has Two Faces'' for a second, yet the emotional truth that Streisand repeatedly, nakedly reveals can't help but win you over. THE FACTS The film: ``The Mirror Has Two Faces'' (PG-13; language, adult situations). The stars: Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, Lauren Bacall, Pierce Brosnan, Mimi Rogers. Behind the scenes: Directed by Barbra Streisand. Written by Richard LaGravenese, based on the film ``Le Miroir a Deux Faces,'' written by Andre Cayatte and Gerard Oury. Produced by Streisand and Arnon Milchan. Released by TriStar Pictures. Running time: Two hours, six minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Three Stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Hannah (Lauren Bacall, left), with Gregory (Jeff Bridges), makes dinner an agonizing event for Rose (Barbra Streisand) in ``The Mirror Has Two Faces.'' |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion