The Face of Love (2013) Review: Ranking Robin Williams’ Thrill-less Thriller
Is The Face of Love (2013) a good movie? No, The Face of Love is a frustrating 2013 psychological thriller that features absolutely zero thrills. While Robin Williams delivers a fantastic supporting performance, the film's poor pacing and bad ending land it near the bottom of our ultimate movie ranking and review.
The Premise: What is The Face of Love About?
Nikki (Annette Bening) is a widow still grieving the death of her husband. She unexpectedly encounters Tom (Ed Harris), a man who bears an uncanny, identical resemblance to her late spouse. Instead of seeking therapy, she becomes romantically involved with him, hiding the truth of his resemblance while grappling with the line between love and illusion.
What Works: Outstanding Performances
The saving grace of this movie is the acting. The performances are incredibly strong across the board, despite the film feeling like it had little to no direction. Robin Williams is outstanding as Roger, Nikki's neighbor. In his very first scene, he communicates his entire character's history purely through quiet, grounded micro-expressions.
What Doesn't Work: Zero Tension and a Bad Ending
To make a thriller work, you need tension. The movie ruins its own mystery by showing the audience the resemblance immediately. We don't wonder why she is hiding the relationship; the only "thrill" is waiting for her to finally tell the truth.
The cinematography is flat and uninspired, and the film is plagued by odd color-correction issues. The absolute worst part is the ending. After a whole movie of Nikki being selfish and manipulative, she is rewarded with perfect emotional closure, presented as the hero rather than someone who used another human being to process her grief.
The Robin Williams Ranking & Performance Score
Robin Williams Performance Score:RETIRED Out of respect for Robin's battle with undiagnosed Lewy Body Dementia, we have officially retired our performance score rating.
Good Mourning Robin Ranking: In our ranking, it sits near the bottom, slightly above the equally disappointing The Final Cut.
FAQ: The Face of Love (2013) Movie
What is the movie The Face of Love about? A grieving widow discovers a man who looks exactly like her deceased husband and secretly dates him without revealing the resemblance.
Who did Robin Williams play in The Face of Love? He played Roger, Nikki's neighbor, delivering a quiet, grounded supporting performance.
Is The Face of Love a good thriller? In our review, we note that it fails as a psychological thriller because it lacks tension, revealing the core mystery to the audience immediately.
