"The Last Face" is a film produced in the mode of mid-twentieth-century European art films like "Hiroshima Mon Amour." The combination of romance with the backdrop of war atrocities had good dramatic potential, but failed to connect the viewer with the historical details of war-torn Africa at the turn of the twenty-first century.

The principal setting is Liberia and the South Sudan. It is there that Dr. Wren Petersen (Charlize Theron) and Dr. Miguel Leon (Javier Bardem) meet, fall in love, and find their relationship affected by the devastation of the casualties and refugees of African civil strife.

The major shortcoming of the film is that the social and political forces at work in Africa are never examined. The premise is the chaos of African civilization, and the film offers a concatenation of scenes in different countries of south Africa. The scenes are brutally honest in the violence, and the filmmakers seek to set them in contrast with the natural beauty of Africa. In those choices, the film flounders in abstraction, as opposed concrete issues affecting the subcontinent of Africa.

The love relationship of the two doctors was not well developed either. The lines of dialogue seemed forced and artificial, as when Wren exclaims, "I could not in those days see God for his creatures" or "So much of the world today has been parted from its dreams." These arty proclamations are not character-driven, but sound like they are coming directly from the computer keyboard of the screenwriter.

The plight of the refugees and the dedication of the humanitarian medical workers were admirably presented in a film that never rose above the level of a paean. Dr. Wren receives a standing ovation when she speaks another pretentious line that "sometimes a face is an illusion" before a large gathering at a highbrow fundraising event.

For the more down-to-earth audience of the film, this set speech, which frames the entire film, sounds too pompous and too abstract for anyone interested in learning about the gritty realities of a troubled continent.

Dr. Wren (Charlize Theron) is following in her father's footsteps as a humanitarian worker. She comes from a privileged background and spends her time mostly administering to getting supplies to the third world with most of her time being in the field. Here she meets a Spanish doctor, Miguel Leon (Javier Bardem ) and they fall in love, or she falls in love, or maybe he falls in love...but then they were separated for 10 years with both wanting to see each other but don't and there is also no communication between the two creating an awkward head scratching situation. The story utilizes flashbacks and I didn't know half the time what was the chronological order of events except Paraguay 1982 was the oldest and really didn't matter.

There is some first person narration that wasn't that well written. Apparently the film was supposed to show the contrast in our lives, but did so poorly. The emotional problems of Wren I didn't grasp. She seemed overly confused for someone with her intellect. Her final fund raising speech was unmoving... "They are us." 'War attacks dreams." Poverty attacks dreams." She was playing a role that her father had laid out for her and I am not sure if she liked it or not, but they made reference to it a couple of times. "I was an ideal I had" was apparently the theme of the film and Wren unless it was help the refugees.

The film was all over the place. I assume there was a book somewhere that tied this all together. They tried to do too much in the production.

Guide: F-word. Brief sex. Brief nudity.

This is a thought-provoking and beautifully dramatic film , packing a stirring love story , though slowly paced and paying tribute to the sacrificed doctors working in the African countries . A chief of an international aid agency in Africa called Wren (Charlize Theron) runs the International Council in Geneva , Switzerland , coordinating the international activities common to the operational centres , as well as raising international awareness of potential humanitarian disasters . Then , Wren arrives in Africa and meets a relief aid doctor Miguel Leon (Javier Bardem) who belongs to ¨Médecins Sans Frontières¨ (MSF , vast majority of staff are volunteers) , also known as ¨Doctors Without Borders¨ and both of whom fall in love . The doctor Wren joins a group of obstinate doctors (Adèle Exarchopoulos , Jared Harris , Jean Reno , Denise Newman) who help unfortunate and distressed African people and undergo risked operations to wounded townsfolk . Meanwhile , in Monrovia , Liberia , takes place a state coup , and then they get together to flee from the capital to Sierra Leona . They embark in a dangerous journey which will take various countries risking his own life and pursued by nasty guerrillas .

Intelligent drama with plenty of emotion , moving scenes and sensational performances . This is a deliberately paced flick , a satisfying journey of love , justice and self-discovery amidst political/social revolutions . It displays great feeling , thrills , and provoking melodrama in which a couple takes on strong choices surrounding humanitarianism and tough lives through civil unrest . This brooding flick sometimes results to be slow-moving , relying heavily on the long love affair and both of them compliment each other with their destine to help the unfortunate natives of African countries . Being developed in sensibility and intelligence , here are narrated ethic , moral issues with great sense of ductility and in ¨Terence Malick¨ style . As the stubborn doctors expand accessibility to medical care across national boundaries and irrespective of race , religion , creed or political affiliation . Cast is frankly good and giving top-notch interpretations . As the Spanish Javier Bardem providing an awesome acting , he grants his character a self-righteous drive that is made poignant for her determination and sheer will . Very magnetic performance by Charlize Theron as member of an aid agency directing efforts to provide medical care in acute crises , she gives the right balance of self-righteousness which makes her performance more real , she also creates her character human , heart and determination with her role , not a stereotype . The movie contains thrilling and violent scenes like the breathtaking battle when the military revolutionaries going into the capital Monrovia in blood and fire , as well as rampage , ravage and the indiscriminate massacres carried out by the extremely violent revolutionary guerrillas . And including gory scenes , such as grisly killings in cold blood and an astonishing surgical Cesarian . Beautiful , haunting and mesmerizing cinematography by Barry Ackroyd . Perceptible , and at times rousing musical score by the prestigious composer Hans Zimmer , including some really sensitive songs in African sounds .

The motion picture was professionally -though in complex narrative filled with flashbacks- directed by Sean Penn . Here Penn tells an African story full of death and violence and presents it with impressive truth , though being both , overlong and touching . Sean Penn tops his last directional effort with an intense drama that is moving , scary and down right forthright . This "The Last Face" (2016) will appeal to Javier Bardem and Charlize Theron fans .