THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES ($35) is an old fashion romantic comedy that plays off the idea, that people can get married as an intellectual partnership, without love and sex getting in the way. Of course, this bright idea comes from a mathematics professor, whose own obsessions with love and sex have ruined every one of his past relationships, and has prevented his career from flourishing. Jeff Bridges is the mathematics professor who puts this proposition to Barbra Streisand’s dowdy literature professor, whose own love life is a disaster. Streisand agrees to the proposal, but being a romantic at heart, she finds it difficult to make a loveless marriage work, especially when she starts falling in love with her husband. Streisand and Bridges have chemistry together, and make for  a good screen duo. They play off each other wonderfully well, and it’s quite obvious that Streisand has lost none of her comic timing. Lauren Bacall received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Streisand’s self-centered mother. It is a meaty role, and Bacall makes the most of it. The cast of THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES also features Pierce Brosnan as Streisand’s fantasy man, and Mimi Rogers as the sister who stole him away. George Segal, Brenda Vaccaro, Austin Pendleton and Elle MacPherson lend support.

Columbia TriStar Home Video has given THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES a very good-looking Letterboxed transfer which restores the film’s 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The Letterboxing gives the compositions a sense of focus. The transfer has a nice level of detail and the colors appear fresh.

The digitally encoded Dolby Surround soundtrack has a simple but pleasing mix, which enhances the film’s romantic atmosphere. The Sony DADC pressing had modest specking on my sample.