Face/Off Reviews

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I was intrigued by this movie's premise: a secret agent and a terrorist swap faces and pretend to be each other. But, sadly, it turned out to be the kind of action movie I don't typically enjoy.
First of all, the overabundance of action scenes and all the panning shots… any movie that reminds me of Michael Bay is not on good terms!
But more importantly, the first action scene, for me, sums up why this movie doesn't work. The characters are barely set up at all before they're thrust into a big action scene, so it's hard to get invested. And when the entire premise depends on playing another character, you really need to make sure the characters are fully developed and understood. We know absolutely nothing about them before they're transformed, so we don't have a clue what they're supposed to be like as each other aside from the basic disposition.
Also, the film is so stylish that that actually works to its disadvantage. For example, in the Mexican standoff scene at the end, what does it do once the guns start firing? It goes into slow-motion, which completely ruins the impact.
Now, what did I like? Well, John Travolta and Nicolas Cage are both excellent, especially at playing both personalities and demonstrating how they clash. I also really like the "let's kill each other" scene with the mirrors.
But overall, this movie puts style so firmly before substance that it's distracting and disappointing.

My rating: 50%

I saw this film yesterday, and thinking back about it, I only remember the action scenes. I remember buildings exploding, boats exploding, piers exploding. Because that's what it's good at. But mind you, Face/Off is not your generic mindless mess; it is quite clever, but only so. The film sees a terrorist taking on the face of a honest cop, and the cop in turn taking the face of the terrorist. One does it for justice, the other for random pleasures. Now of course in a film like this, one can get confused, after all two personalities are getting mixed up. But don't worry, this film is probably the least confusing film you've ever seen, although it does try its best to catch you off guard. Heroic bloodshed and explosions aside, I liked the fact how the main focus of the film's spotlight was on the two characters, and not on the surroundings. Another other film, or any other director, would've made the specific places the characters find themselves in full characters of their own. Take a look at Shawshank, Green Mile and The Great Escape: the prisons too are characters. But the one shown here, although very ingenious, is so briefly shown, that it didn't even feel like it was there. I'm complaining, but in fact complimenting. The film is not a prison film, and long, extended scenes of the tedious, signature prison life would've slowed the film down.

Despite the fact it is quite well written and well directed, there are many scenes which are quite silly. When Archer and Troy (as each other) battle on the boats in the climatic scene, Archer hangs from the side of the boat, his feet touching the water. The speed the boat was going, and the force of the water, can severely damage the legs, if not break them. But over here we see him almost literally water-ski over it. Also, the character of Castor Troy was relentlessly evil, and this point is exaggerated many times in the film, and this made Troy a very unfinished, over the top, baseless character.

From the performances, I thoroughly enjoyed John Travolta as Sean Archer/Castor Troy. Although not a very detailed performance, his capturing of the small nuances in specific scenes was impressive. It was muscular in its own right, brutal in its distinct manner. Nicolas Cage once again plays another crazy character, once again giving us an entertaining performance. But I have to say, this is one of his least best ones, but solidly entertaining. When Nic Cage becomes Sean Archer, the crying, emotional scenes were surprisingly pathos. Never knew he had it in him. Joan Allen was impactful in her silent demeanor. I also liked the fact that she doesn't become the next Lucy Lawless in the climatic stand-off. You know, an uzi magically appears in her hand, and she unleashes hell. She was great. The rest of the cast were decent enough in their roles, although not as memorable.

In conclusion, Face/Off is an entertaining film. Don't expect a lot of deep thinking though; it is only an action film!

7.5/10

"Oh God, this is excellent. Bravo. Bra-fucking-vo."

Face/Off is a fantastic film helmed by Asian director John Woo. It features the versatility and talent of two actors, John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, as they portray two characters: Sean Archer and Castor Troy. It was a thrill to see them switch from one character to another, and they did it with such ease that they really made the identity switch believable. It was also a thrill to see Thomas Jane, Beethoven alum Danny Masterson, and Lolita star (she was in this film after starring in Kubrick's famous and controversial film the previous year) Dominique Swain in the film. Sean Archer's son was killed many years ago by terrorist Castor Troy, and Archer has never stopped hunting Troy and his younger brother, Pollux (Nivola). During a stakeout at the airport, Archer finally gets his chance to nail Troy, and with Troy in a coma and his younger brother in jail, Archer readies himself to settle back into a normal life and repair the damage his son's death caused on him and his family, from his wife, Eve (Allen), and daughter, Jamie (Swain). However, he learns that the Troy brothers have planted a bomb somewhere in L.A., and with Castor out of commission, the only person who knows the location of the bomb is Pollux. The only way for Pollux to open up is by talking to his brother. So on a wild scheme, Sean becomes the man he hates most in the world, taking on Castor's face and identity, and is shipped off to the same jail where Pollux is. Unfortunately, Castor wakes up from his coma, assumes Archer's identity, and sets the entire movie in motion. I watched this movie again and I simply loved it. Okay, so maybe I'm older and more attuned to the things needed to make a good movie, and THIS certainly carried all of the things needed for a good gunfest. But it did more than that; it showcased the talents of Travolta and Cage, as they were both tasked to play a really cunning and out-of-this world terrorist, Castor Troy.

Favorite Scenes in the Film:
1. Castor Troy's arrival in the airport



- Must have been the way Troy's coat flew with the breeze as he stepped out of the car, but dayyyum, that was probably the best entrance by a villain I've seen. Classy, with more than a hint of devilishness.

2. The entire gunfight in Dietrich's house



- From start to finish, I enjoyed every millisecond of it. Nothing was done
over the top. A constant thrill ride.

3. The fight after Victor Lazarro's funeral rites.



- Again, not done over the top, and you could see Cage and Travolta living up to their parts as Archer and Troy, respectively.

4. The revelation of Castor Troy's son, Adam



- The way Sasha (Gershon) said it was so natural, but it definitely had an impact.
"Troy": These are nice clothes.
Sasha: Of course, they're yours.
"Troy": Yeah, um, that's why I like them. *looks at Adam* He's a nice looking kid too.
Sasha: Of course. He's yours too.

No matter how many times I saw this film, I haven't gotten tired of it. In my case, this movie wasn't a rip/off.

Nice action scenes and creative story but you have to keep the button for your "sense of realism" switched off during most of the time... apart from that the main actors do a quite good job.