Love can be a terrible thing. Sharing a life with someone, building a home together, getting married, having children and merging identities to near incongruous levels are all part of the sacrificing and lifetime decision-making one does when finding "the one." Imagine being so entwined with your better half for years, only to suddenly lose them forever. The waves of shock and horror must be overwhelming because you didn't just lose the love of your life, your partner and your lover. You've also lost a big part of yourself and you somehow have to find the courage to pick up the pieces, move on and decide how to lock up your memories in the dusty drawers of your mind without throwing away the key. Arie Posin's "The Face Of Love" starring Annette Bening, Ed Harris and Robin Williams dives into the psychological consequences of this harsh side of love, and while the concept is full of deep potential, more often than not, this attempt fails torise to the occasion.
In the first few minutes of THE FACE OF LOVE you are given the background to Nikki and Garrett. They are a middle aged married couple who are still in love with one another. On a holiday in Mexico Garrett accidentally drowns and Niiki is inconsolable. Five years later on a visit to a Los Angeles art gallery she spies a man who bears a remarkable resemblance to her dead husband. He's Tom, an artist and art teacher. She virtually stalks him and sets up a meeting.