This is a relationship drama in which every character is important playing a vital part in the impossibility of sorting out human relationships. Gene Rowlands finds herself an impoverished widow after her husband's sudden death sitting watching the TV, leaving nothing behind but debts and what's worse, gambling debts, which no one in his family had any idea of. What's even worse is, that her daughter's engagement is broken off by her boyfriend probably because of the family's new social and financial situation. Gene Rowlands finds an old friend of her youth, who always remained her admirer, the always reliable Harris Yulin, here called David Jordan. But she also has another friend, a bag lady causing nothing but trouble, who also helped sabotaging the daughter's marriage. This is Tyne Daly, and although her part is far from sympathetic, she dominates the film by her constantly importuning great acting, always going too far but consistently and admirably convincing. How the relationships are sorted out, developing and finding new ways, is beyond this sincere social document of a movie, which really only presents a beginning.
Review of Face of a Stranger
