Here is an initially intriguing oddity on the doppelganger theme from Arie Posin, who made a suburbia satire called The Chumscrubber in 2005. It finally unravels into bathos and absurdity, though not without some moments of interest on the way. The Face of Love is not quite a supernatural thriller, nor exactly a romantic drama, nor precisely a study in psychological breakdown. Perhaps it needed a young M Night Shyamalan to endow it with some final whiplash twist. Nikki, a highly strung performance from Annette Bening, is grieving for her adored husband, played by Ed Harris. Then she is astonished to see a certain man who looks exactly like her late husband, also played by Ed Harris. What is going on?
Posin allows us to glimpse a movie poster for Vertigo, a film that had to resolve its own resemblance mystery relatively early on. This one spins out the ambiguity as long as possible: is Nikki, in her mental anguish, just imagining things? Or is this guy objectively for real? Neither explanation is entirely satisfying, and when Posin’s script has to make its decision, the effect is anticlimactic, without ever really acknowledging or absorbing the mystery. The late Robin Williams contributes a sharp and poignant cameo as a shy neighbour with a crush on Nikki.
