The Face of Love - A Movie Review

Everything is possible. Keep moving forward, away from the past.

The Face of Love was released to theaters in 2013. After the sudden death of her husband, Nikki is unsure of how to move on. Years later, she falls for a man who is a striking resemblance to her late husband. Will this new relationship work?

Romance has changed a lot throughout the film world. The Face of Love establishes an emotional love story. Living in the past is not good for you. To live life, we have to keep moving forward and find love that makes sense.

Annette Benning beautifully connected to her character. Loss is tough. Unhealthily clinging to a man who resembles her late husband, Nikki would prefer to stay in the past instead of moving on to build more memories. Benning was incredible, teaching viewers that we are allowed to grieve for however long we want.

The chemistry between Benning and Ed Harris is what made this film. Their interactions are everything. Most of the film is from Nikki’s perspective, though I was surprised that filmmakers gave Harris’ character time in the perspective. Benning and Harris were tremendous, acting out an emotionally grueling sequence.

I was so excited to see that the late Robin Williams was in this film. Whether it was a dramatic or a comedic role, Williams always brought his enthusiastic charm to the screen. Only, there were missed opportunities with his character.

Roger should have had a scene with Harris so we could have seen his reaction to this relationship. Williams deserved a stronger part instead of what turned out to be an awkward love triangle. His character needed more fleshing out.

Jess Weixler sold an emotional rant. The film was so focused on the relationship between Nikki and Garrett that it forgot about the secondary characters. I would have liked to have seen more with Nikki and her daughter.

One character who deserves more recognition is Jan (Linda Park). As I said, love has a different definition whether in a good or bad light.

Arie Posin took a real-life story that happened to his own mother and put it on the screen. He used integral cinematography. Faraway shots created emotional value. He connected to audiences about a subject that many people are not comfortable talking about. Keep making new memories.

The film is all about dialogue. The conversations are another strong element. Posin and writer, Matthew McDuffie spent time on the conversations between Nikki and Garret. Some plot elements could have been constructed in a better format.

I did not expect a subplot about art in this film. Art lovers, I recommend that you watch this film. Like life, starting a project is tough. Art is all about expression. It doesn’t matter how good you are at art. What matters is that you connect to how you are feeling.

This is a film about grief. There is no wrong way to grieve. This line stuck with me. The death of a loved one is the toughest challenge of anybody’s life. Although it is difficult to move on, The Face of Love encourages audiences to pick up the pieces and keep living life.

The Face of Love is a resonating story. Change is good. It’s also a film about getting older. Each generation has a differing opinion about love. Despite getting older, we still need to take chances. You never know how new opportunities or new relationships will go, but it’s about experimenting.

I recommend that you watch this film. Everyone can relate to the theme in some way. It makes you feel closure.