The Man without a Face

Mel Gibson made his feature film directing debut with this drama, loosely based on the book by Isabel Holland, which combines elements from The Elephant Man, Mask, Scent of a Woman, and The Karate Kid in a study of the capacity for human trust and compassion. Gibson plays Justin McLeod, a former ...more

Mel Gibson's directorial debut is as routine as they come, packaging familiar elements from movies about mentors, disfigurement, and unjustified fears of the unknown, then sealing it all up with gorgeous cinematography of coastal Maine. In addition to his first directing project, the film seems to semi-intentionally double as Gibson's attempt to place his talents as an actor at the forefront, blurring his matinee-idol looks through burn scars that obscure half of his face. The Man Without a Face ...more