The Face of Love

8/27/2022

I never thought I’d use the term Idiot Plot to refer to a film starring Annette Bening, Ed Harris, and Robin Williams, but then I’d never watched The Face of Love. Nikki (Bening) is a widow who is still pining for her dead husband Garrett (Ed Harris) five years after he drowned on a beach in Mexico. One day she meets Tom (also Harris), who looks so much like her late husband – complete with the exact same tone of voice and male pattern baldness – that the only possible explanation is that Garrett and Tom were twins separated at birth (I would also accept cloning, at least as the movies usually (mis)understand it). The movie, however, offers no explanation for the fact that Tom is a perfect replica – down to each and every single wrinkle – of Garrett (or viceversa), other than “you k