Rating: 
Summary: Finally, a love story with ADULTS!
Review: I agree with most of the reviews criticizing this film for giving us neurotic, frumpy Babs vs. self-assured, Hollywood Babs. Pretty shallow. I also thought the college lecture scenes were embarrassingly unprofessional (BTW, I'm a community college prof. To the reviewer who said "well maybe at a community college," stop showing your ignorance. We're as professional as any professors out there). But, I'm cutting this movie some slack, because it's wonderful to see a good love story involving adults for a change! Overall, it is a good movie. I enjoy watching it each time I see it. Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges have chemistry and are really fun to watch. George Siegal is hilarious; I wish he'd been in more scenes. When you see gorgeous Lauren Bacall, you wonder why other stars don't just allow themselves to age as beautifully as she has, instead of having so much plastic surgery they wind up looking like bizarre androids. It's a treat to see her back on screen. I'd watch this movie for the sumptuous scenery and well-crafted score alone, but the acting and story are fun, as well. Not perfect, certainly, but a wonderful love story for adults. I think it also does raise the issue of society's focus on ridiculously narrow definitions of female beauty and the effect it has on us all. I had a friend who use to say about a lot of men, "He missed the most gorgeous orchid because he wasted all his time looking for a rose." With all the superficiality and bad relationships out there, does make you think. But, most of all, it's a movie I can watch over and over again and enjoy it every time.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable until the last 20 minutes
Review: Well' [cough]' it's not bad' [hem. Haw.] OK. I'm a Streisand fan. Funny Girl, Yentl, The Way We Were' knocked me off my feet. But Mirror left me' empty. It begins well enough. Streisand's character, Rose, is a frumpy, popular university professor. I have to say I breathed a sigh of relief because I am tired of seeing her play this parade of oh-so-glamorous women (Nuts, Tides). I mean, Babs, you're not Cindy Crawford. Deal with it. So here she is, at last, playing this off-beat, smart, funny gal. And, I mean, this isn't Shakespeare, but it's fine romantic comedy stuff. Jeff Bridges, Laruen Bacall - the whole cast is playing along great. Then we get to the last twenty minutes when the ugly duckling turns into - Well, she turns into Barbra Streisand. I mean, Barbra Streisand the Beverly Hills movie star. And I'm not watching the character anymore; I feel like I'm seeing Barbra doing an interview on Entertainment tonight. The whole picture stopped working for me at that point. And what's the message of this movie - anybody can be beautiful if you're willing to spend enough money? Because the only difference between Rose A and Rose B. is a $10,000 investment in health clubs, stylists, colorists, manicurist, couturiers, and make-up. Sorry, Barbra, you lost me on this one. Let's try something different next time.
Rating: 
Summary: Cute movie.
Review: This is a fun-to-watch romantic comedy. Everyone is mostly good in it, especially Lauren Bacall as Rose's bitter, impossible-to-please, interfering mother. I had a few gripes, though. Why couldn't Streisand set aside her personal vanity long enough to play Rose as physically unattractive as possible? There isn't that much difference in the post-makeover Rose, except that she becomes more of a bitchy, smartass with dark roots. And for being the co-star, Jeff Bridges gets MUCH less camera time than Streisand does. Gee, considering who directed the film, it's no wonder why. I agree with the previous reviewer who berated Rose's college lecture scene. No university professor I've known would lecture in that manner - WAY too unprofessional. Maybe at a community college, though... I did like the film's ending - Greg and Rose wind up together for the right reasons. Had the film continued, or (God forbid) a sequel been made, certainly Greg would have encouraged Rose to go back to looking more like her former fat, frumpy self. I'll bet that ending-scene cab ride resulted in a visit to the pastry shop.
Rating:
Summary: "The no-frills girl, right?"
Review: Streisand's third directorial effort was greeted with surprisingly vicious reaction from both fans and critics, nearly all of whom immediately labeled it as an over-the-top vanity piece. It also had considerable difficulty at the box office. After opening with strong numbers, the $45 million budgeted film took a nose dive and did not recover. It ended up taking in $46 million domestically ($65 million worldwide), which was a respectable take, but far from the blockbuster status of films like A STAR IS BORN or THE PRINCE OF TIDES. When considering all of the above information, it's a bit surprising to discover that the film is nothing more than an entertaining and heart-felt romantic comedy. In hindsight, it's hard to understand why a such a harmless and light-weight film became such a lighting rod for scathing reviews and harsh comments. While the storyline is predictable, the movie is actually very well-done with a brisk pace, compelling characters, and a witty screenplay. The finale may come down a bit heavy-handed on the "message" end, but the build-up is effective enough to merit this indulgence. Though MIRROR doesn't match her previous two directorial efforts, Streisand does once again pull off the various actress/producer/director roles with great efficiently, and this results in an effective star vehicle for the then-54-year-old film legend. Jeff Bridges received a lot of flack for his completely unselfconscious portrayal, but I admire how completely he throws himself into the silly role. Lauren Bacall is brilliantly biting and luminous in her turn as Streisand's mother, a role that earned her first (and so far only) Oscar nomination. Mimi Rogers is also fun as Streisand's slutty younger sister, as is Brenda Vaccaro as her self-deprecating best friend - although Pierce Brosnan is wasted as a gigolo-like suitor. All in all, an enjoyably fluffy film, undeserving of the criticism it routinely receives. About the DVD: This was one of Columbia's first DVD releases, and while the picture and sound quality are great, there are no extras and the menus are hideous.
Rating: 
Summary: Barbra Streisand being human, not mega star-ish.
Review: I have a knack for knowing whether I'll like a movie just by watching the trailer. I'm hardly ever wrong, so I didn't watch this movie when it came out.
It was one of those instances when a trailer turns out to be a wonderful movie's worst enemy, depicting it in such a light that I actually thought "Oh no, not another Barbra Streisand movie, where she weeps about how ugly she thinks she is, all the while making love to gorgeous men, and then the guy is unfaithful to her, please God no". I was traumatized by that movie of hers starring Robert Redford and nothing will induce me to watch anything like that again. Having finally watched it, almost by accident on television, I think I like it much more than "The Prince of Tides", which I really loved. Her character is a wonderful, fascinating person, with a full life and great things to offer - who, among many other characteristics, also happens to feel lonely and inadequate at times, and has dreams about finding Prince Charming, no matter how late in life. I wish she was always this cool. She never gave me the feeling she was being full of herself, or neurotic about it in any way, not ever. Jeff Bridges' character is a great guy, who is so damaged by prior relationships that he isn't thinking straight anymore. The way their love affair unravels is something to marvel at, it's so sensitive and clever. It's a wonderful surprise for those who, like me, thought Streisand would never stop feeling sorry for herself.
Rating:
Summary: The Mirror Crack'd
Review: Eight years after watching this film in its original theatrical run, I am sad to say that THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES has not aged well. While its always a delight to see Streisand display her expert comic timing, this film is simply laden with the star's own vain notions and ramblings regarding true love and beauty and its "two faces". While the premise is interesting, the rest of the film rambles on as if Streisand herself wasn't entirely sure what her conclusions were to be. What does not help the process along is the final half hour's blatant "Hello gorgeous!" antics Streisand perpetuates ad nauseum. Its derivitive and vain and frankly quite dull.
Saving the picture are the wonderful performances by the supporting cast. Brenda Vacarro is given little screen time as Rose's pal who is "in the same boat" when it comes to beauty. Austin Pendleton and George Segal are a delight to watch (both of whom worked with Streisand in pictures in the early 70s). Last but not least is Lauren Bacall, who adds a wonderful teaspoon of vinegar to the portrayal of the seemingly vain mother (who ends up actually having a heart of gold).
If you can get past the "Streisand Vanity" which plagues this movie, then perhaps you will be in for an enjoyable viewing.
Rating:
Summary: Mirror Is Great!!
Review: Barbra Streisand did a great job on this movie. As it's been mentioned in many other reviews "This isn't your typical ugly duckling story" Barbra always manages to add a little twist to her projects that make them more unique and intersting, and this fine movie is no exception! Highly recomended!
Rating:
Summary: Streisand convinces me.
Review: What I like in this movie is the idea of love _ the psychological factors. (I won't like it if I watched it 10 years ago.) Although there are several places with exaggeration in this movie, the two main charactors Rose and Greg are still very fascinating. This is a serious movie, but also a comedy. That's Streisand's brilliance.
If you don't like this movie, what's so good about A Beautiful Mind?! I think Striensand did a better job here. Also, this movie is not about who is more beautiful. So, it's no need to compare Striesand with some other beautiful women. It tells the psychological changes in lovers. With Greg, Rose becomes more confident. The last part of the story is the only consequence of a true love. Jiff Bridges played very well in this movie. What I don't agree is that he got so mad at students after Rose left.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad movie, but no boom
Review: This is one unintentionally hilarious vanity project. But what I want to say is that one of the other viewers wondered what became of the boom mike he saw hanging in several scenes when he saw the movie in a theater. Well, just about all movie prints have mikes in them. It's the projectionist's job to position the film properly in the projector to keep the "extras" out of sight. If the viewer had seen the movie in another theater, he might have seen that no mike was visible. Anyway, there's no mike in the DVD, but maybe it would have helped to have one.
Rating:
Summary: The Mirror has Two Faces
Review: This is NOT an ugly duckling story. The whole point is that he fell in love with her before she turned beautiful. This is one of my favorite movies of all times! The relationship with her mother is huge. Again, her thinking her mother did not accept her because she wasn't the pretty one but in reality, her mother was jealous of her, that she didn't need it like she did, to feel secure.
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