Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" is undoubtedly one of the greatest masterpieces in cinema history. The film, which relates a detective's obsessive transformation of a stranger into his dead lover, has been known for its astute psychological depth and thrilling tension. More importantly, the film represents the epitome of the objectification of women theme that dominates many of Hitchcock's cinematic gems.
Arie Posin's latest film "The Face of Love" tells the story of Nikki, a woman who has recently lost her husband Garet. Five years after his death, she meets a man who is the spitting image of her deceased husband. She eventually develops a relationship with him, with the seeming intent of using him to replace the vacancy that her husband left.
The film is clearly influenced by "Vertigo"—the film's poster actually makes a brief appearance in one scene—and is littered with a motifs from the earlier film. The main character is in a state of dreamlike neurosis in the early parts of the film reminiscent of the iconic and crazed dream sequence in Hitchcock's masterpiece. Posin's film also utilizes such "Vertigo" motifs as art museums, paintings and even a score that sounds more typical of the 1960s; there is also a sequence in which the main character Nikki (Annette Benning) follows her object of desire.
References to "Vertigo" are great and all, but does "The Face of Love" manage to get out from behind the shadow of its own inspiration and assert itself as an individual film?
The overall final product is solid and Posin manages to sustain a tremendous sense of tension. However, the film is not without its own faults. While the relationship at the center of the film between Nikki and Tom (Ed Harris) is powerfully touching, the addition of other characters often seems a bit superfluous and vapid. This is the case with Robin William's Roger, who is supposed to be this movie's version of Midge Wood. He is presented as a sort of double for Nikki in that he is also a widower and is looking for someone to occupy his loneliness; he is unsurprisingly in love with Nikki but she has no seeming interest in him. The character is utilized in a number of scenes to create tension but his overall function in the narrative's development makes him ultimately feel like a convenient plot device. The other subplots in the film, particularly those pertaining to Tom's past life, also feel a bit awkward in the overall context of the story.
The performances by Benning and Harris are fascinating, however, and make up for any of the film's minor flaws. Benning exudes violence in her cold stare in the film's opening; at one point her character actually breaks glass in her hand, emphasizing this violent, crazed nature. However, as the story develops and her dreams of love return, the internal violence gives way to a calmer presence. Of course, the character maintains a few moments of conflicted emotion and it is here that Benning delivers some of her most compelling moments.
There is one particular scene in which she kisses Tom in a restaurant. Moments later, her eyes betray a tremendous amount of pain and confusion. She runs to the bathroom. When Tom confronts her, Benning's Nikki is as vulnerable as the audience has seen her in the entire film. The obsessive nature of the character surely takes over and there are even a few moments in the movie's climax in which the violence reasserts itself. The character surely runs a gamut of extreme emotions, but Benning manages to make the transitions seamless and realistic; in the hands of a less talented actor this role could have come off as a melodramatic.
Harris' Tom starts off as a man of extreme confidence but his interactions with Nikki slowly unveil a more sensitive man under the exterior. Even though Nikki's character dominates the film, it is Harris' performance as Tom that grounds the work with rich humanity and vulnerability. We understand Nikki's pain, but we sympathize with Tom's emotional plight.
Fans of Hitchcock's masterpiece will surely appreciate this deft reimagining thanks to Benning and Harris' strong performances. The start of any calendar year usually represents a dip in quality of the film industry; "The Face of Love" represents one of the few exceptions.
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