Face to Face

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Isa B I absolutely love Ingmar Bergman's films, but Face to Face is not my favorite. Though, the film isn't without its strong points. The spooky old woman with the dark eye that we first see around the 16 minute mark is terrifying. It's a perfect depiction of something one would experience during sleep paralysis. I love that there is no use of music, but rather the ticking of a clock with silence. Sometimes silence is scarier than loud or creepy sounds. Mr. Bergman surely knew that as he was a master filmmaker. I love how conservative he is with the camera. There are no flashy or unnecessary movements. Nothing is wasted. He makes the most out of the minimal. His genius is evident, yet subtle. He was the most complete motion picture maker who ever lived. As always, the cast is marvelous. I must say, in regards to this film, there isn't much in the way of a story. A woman who has dealt with so much trauma in her life reaches a boiling point, but nothing really gets resolved. She just seemingly accepts the inevitable and continues on with her lonely life. The story almost seems unnecessary to tell through the medium of film, in my opinion. I love Ingmar, but this film was less than stellar in my view. It feels unresolved and incomplete. Unresolved can work in a movie when the character study is deep or entertaining, but this one just fell flat. I certainly appreciated its finer points as I mentioned before. The acting, specifically in the dream sequences. Other than that, this film felt a bit stale. I have seen 24 of Mr. Bergman's films and this one is probably my least favorite. I don't recommend. 76/100 Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/18/25 Full Review Melissa L Very weird movie. I didn't like it at all. I have no idea why it has such high ratings. Waste of time...definitely do not recommend! Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 06/21/24 Full Review Claes D Great! Stream at: https://vimeo.com/cinematographab/vod_pages. Fantastic performance by Liv Ullmann Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/01/23 Full Review steve d Ullmann gives her best performance. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I was torn with this one, on one hand I find it features the best performance in an Ingmar Bergman film, and on the other I found the film to be long and tedious at times. I have been watching a lot of Bergman films lately and have come to realize that I definitely prefer his earlier films. I am not saying this isn't a good film, but rather that it just wasn't for me. It did earn Oscar nominations for a truly deserving Liv Ullman and also for Bergman himself. Give it a watch and decide for yourself. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Face to Face simply knocked my socks off. There is little point in trying to weave more praise and it shouldn't be a surprise to any long time readers as it is yet another pairing of Imgmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann. The experience of the film is similar to watching a pool of gasoline gradually spreading at a drip pace toward a flaming zippo, we all know what is going to happen as Ullmann plays a psychiatrist suffering with a mental illness. I would warn that Face to Face is not immediately available in the US and the copy I secured looks like a DVD copy of a video that had been rented out for years before the transfer. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Face to Face

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