At times, I did feel a little uneasy of this film, but then something happened, it grew on me. It was probably the performances mainly. Mel Gibson (in his first directorial effort, though I've heard of him co-directing Mad Max and find that Braveheart is better) very finely plays a guy who (like Kevin Spacey in pay It Forward) is emotionally and physically scarred. Since his burns came, he lives in the woods very quietly, until a smart (though very troubled) teen, played well by Nick Stahl, comes to him in search of tutoring in order to get into a military school. But the friendhsip is deep in this film, thanks to the supporting characters of the film who are primarily the boy's family. Sometimes a little too much in one whole strip of celluloid, but most of the time it is worth the watch. B+
Review of The Man Without a Face
