Directed by Edward Montagne; produced by Ed Gardner
An accountant (Barry Nelson) has his usual Wednesday. He wakes up, has breakfast, pats his dog and drives in to work. His wife is to collect him at the end of the day, but she doesn’t show up. Calling home, he’s treated as a stranger. When he at last gets there, he discovers why: a look-alike has taken not only his place but his identity - and his wife and brother-in-law believe the real man is the imposter.
This is the intriguing premise of The Man with My Face, its opening eerily reminiscent of a Twilight Zone episode. The film’s explanation, however, is not supernatural, but felonious, and is given to the viewer almost immediately (so I am ruining no suspense by elaborating it in part here). Nelson’s replacement in his life is part of a long-planned robbery scheme, the robber hoping to supplant an innocent victim and fob him off on authorities as the criminal police are seeking.
The plot is very implausible, involving a fake marriage, killer dogs and five years of waiting for the right moment. Superficially simple, the scheme has far too many hazards to be likely. As odd as it may seem, however, this does not make The Man with My Face a bad movie. The trick is to accept that the criminals’ conspiracy could work, and then just to run with Nelson as he seeks not to clear his name, but to get it back.
The acting ranges from good to bad, and the production values are cheap. But the movie benefits from the setting, a rare use of Puerto Rico in a feature film; the climax is set in the old Spanish fortress guarding the harbour (a setting which is probably no longer open to anyone and his dog who wants to run through it.) The actual conclusion is satisfyingly ironic.
There could be many improvements. The script not giving the game away so early would have made the movie much more suspenseful, and drawn the viewer in, keeping him interested, if only to find out the explanation for the imposture. The actors are largely unknown (and likely were at the time, too) except for Nelson and a young Jack Warden, and in some cases, the players were unknown for an obvious reason. But Nelson does a fine job in his dual role, and the script, despite its flaws, receives high marks for allowing people who know the two men well to differentiate them after a moment, as would likely be the case in real-life.
While The Man with My Face might have the viewer rolling his eyes in disbelief, it nonetheless manages to provide an entertaining time, and that’s what many ask of a movie.
the "robbery scheme" ////"identity" line has me thinking; it's not twilight zone that I'm trying to remember; seems the feature was too long, but rather a movie based on the same premise; it's going to make me nuts now until I can think of the title...if I do I'll let you know; the flick was rather good. ☺♥
ReplyDeletebank robbery; man "hired" different individuals to help rob the bank on the premise they all wore masks so that none of them ever knew each other during the entire "heist"... from the robbery itself until the "delivery" of the cash ....each one had a different job to do so to speak to ensure they were never caught.....
ReplyDeletefaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...as da tabbies say :)
It sounds familiar, but then it could be half a dozen films. Yes, I hate the ones that you remember bits and pieces of, but can never put together in your memory.
DeleteIt does seem like an odd plot line for a movie, but to be fair, Agatha Christie had some that I thought were even more improbable.
ReplyDeleteIt was adapted from a novel by the same name; I could see where it could seem more believable on the printed page than on film.
Despite the inadequacies of the film, it was forward thinking. Today, fraudulent use of identities happens too frequently.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the setting in Puerto Rico was El Morro Fortress? If so, I visited the fortress in January. It is open to the public for a small fee.
I am sure that was the fortress used, and I thought of you and your recent visit to the island. Even if it weren’t being filmed for a movie, I think places that are now tourist spots were open and free - and largely unvisited - in those days. I recall reading a book by a woman who grew up in India from about 1910 to the 1930s, and she wrote of a picnic at the Taj Mahal, with no one around and she and her friends able to wander at will through the great building.
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