Face/Off
Relentless fbi agent sean archer must go dangerously undercover to investigate the location of a lethal biological weapon planted by his arch rival the sadistic terrorist-for-hire castor troy. After undergoing a radical surgical procedure archer borrows troys face and identity. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/22/2006 Starring: John Travolta Joan Allen Run time: 140 minutes Rating: R Director: John Woo
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Last updated: October 19, 2009, 4:46 pm
Face/Off Cusomter reviews:
Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 360
(H. Mario, 2009-09-30) After a rocky start with 'Hard Target', Woo's early American film career continued in an upward trajectory with the underrated 'Broken Arrow', before culminating in this film, a highly characteristic deconstruction of the American thriller. (One might argue that then a disconcerting falling-off began with 'Mission Impossible 2', but that's another matter.) Once again Woo uses Travolta to good effect, establishing him as a preferred actor only this time in a plot that is, to say the least, bizarre. 'Face/Off' - at least to those who carp about such things - is unrealistic, unconvincing and, frequently, just down right silly. In this film it seems, the 'willing suspension of disbelief' has to be suspended so high, and so frequently, that it is almost out of sight. But criticisms circling around the questionable realism of the film are missing the point. Woo comes from a film-making tradition where 'common sense' and 'logic' (particularly in action/fantasy pictures) are not considered by viewers as important as they are to audiences here. Stunts and plot lines regularly defy what would be our natural expectations and logic, grounded as we are in the different Western, realist tradition. In his film Woo uses the distancing, and peculiar advantage, that this cultural difference brings, creating an ironic comment on the action film, as well as indulging his own thematic obsessions. The 'face/off' procedure is simply a plot device, a MacGuffin (to borrow Hitchcock's term for a red herring) allowing Woo's exploration of these concerns. In this light, it's not important that the operation is plainly absurd, or that Cage and Travolta are obviously different body shapes. What matters is the play that this change thereafter allows the director on identity, moral values, audience expectation, acting styles - and all the rest. As if the underline this, Woo has the actors make a unique, artificial 'face off' movement (down the face with their hands) when the magic words are spoken on screen, a visible mantra to the whole procedure. The implausibility is thereby *emphasised*, not hidden, a dramatic device made into a flourish, not a liability. Woo in short doesn't care about plausibility, because his true concerns lay elsewhere. But the sniffing at Woo's substantial achievement continues. Yet no one criticises Franju's 'Les Yeux Sans Visage' - which is equally ridiculous in its central conceit - even though there we are supposed to take the operation seriously. Perhaps because this type of event is 'allowed' without raised eyebrows, in our regular horror tradition we wave it through. In Frankenheimer's 'Seconds', to take another example, Rock Hudson is miraculously (and to my mind absurdly) created out of a body of a shorter, middle aged man. 'Seconds' is a (good) film without a post-modern idea in its head - yet has won plaudits because of the wider social issues it addresses away from the unconvincing new identity-creation. 'Face/Off', in short, requires a more sophisticated response from some critics and action fans than it has so far received. A comparison with some of the less complex and more mindless action pictures that appeared at the same time (the overrated 'The Rock' for instance) reveals considerable strengths and virtues. Whereas other action films come and go, 'Face/Off' remains obstinately in the mind, teasing the genre, inviting repeated viewings.
(Francisco Pizarro, 2009-08-17) Sometimes, being a legend in something doesn't guarantee success. That certainly is the case of John Woo, a legendary director in Asia, who has made some really influential action films like Hard Boiled and Ichi the Killer. Many of his films are strong influences on today's crop of action directors and actors. When news came out that he was heading to Hollywood, everyone got excited. But in the end, Face/Off is the only one of the films he made in the U.S. that really made an impact. Which is a weird thing, since this film is without a doubt, the most far-fetched project Woo did in the U.S. and probably in his whole career. The film's plot tells it all: FBI agent Sean Archer(Travolta) finally captures his long time nemesis, Castor Troy(Cage), the man who killed his son; but learns he has left a parting gift in the form of a bomb somewhere in LA. In order to stop him, Archer takes the face of Troy (who is in a comma)and "becomes" Troy in order to get the information he needs to stop the bomb. While he is doing that. Castor wakes up(sans face) and forces the surgeons who turned Archer into Troy to turn him into Archer and then destroys all evidence of it happening. The main characters have in fact, switched places. Troy now living with Archer's wife and daughter and Archer hiding within Troy's underworld contacts. Plenty of action ensues. Confused? I understand. As far out and impossible as all this sounds, Woo makes it work. For length of the film you have no problem believing it is possible to turn someone like John Travolta into someone like Nic Cage. The reason for this is that both actors give themselves completely to their roles. Travolta truly shines, first establishing the tortured Archer, then having a blast copying the over the top intensity that Cage infused into the character of Castor Troy. Same thing with Cage. Though we only see him in the beggining as Troy, but it is more than enough for Cage to bring him to life. In 15 minutes, he projects every ounce of decadence and arrogance of the character. Which makes it the more fun when Travolta takes over and vice-versa. It is this interaction that makes this film successful despite the moon crater-like holes in this story. After all, the whole reason the whole convulted plot was concieved, was to explore the duality of good and evil within each of us. Incredibly, it succeeds. Of course, this being a Woo film, there is plenty of action and gun-play. All of the trademarked Woo-isms are here: plenty of gun to gun stand-offs, churches, white doves and enough slow-motion to satisfy the hardcore Woo fans. Woo makes action look like a flowing dance and this film is no exception. The brutality and chaos of some scenes offset by slow-mo shots that makes everything flow. The beggining and end sequences are particuarly noteworthy. The tranfer to High Def is pretty decent. It lacks the sharpness and detail of recent films but a lot of that has to do woth the age of the film. On the other hand, many older films have had better transfers than this one so it is probably a combination of age and a not-so-awsome job on the transfer. Having said that, this is quite simply, the best this film has looked on Home Video. Certainly superior to every DVD release of this film. Face/Off is a great and entertaining film despite its flaws. The fact that you are able to really enjoy it even with the out-of-this world premise, is a testament to Woo, Cage, Travolta and the entire cast of this film. An awsome action film that looks great on Blu-Ray.
(Satvir Singh, 2009-07-09) I've seen this movie for the first time a month ago and was blown away!!! Non-stop action, great story, great acting. I've seen this movie over 3 times with friends and relatives since I bought it!
(Tracy L. West, 2009-07-06) John Travolta and Nicolas Cage are at their best in this film! The movie keeps your attention the entire time and the plot is great! I would highly recommend this movie to fans of these great actors and those who love a good action film with some gore!
(Cedric Cash, 2009-06-25) This NOT the greatest Joh woo film that he has ever made; at least as a director for an American production film/Company. There are some fun action scenes and cool explosive shoot-outs, but the plot lacks slightly. The idea of J. Travolta being changed to a "mad-man" (aka. Nicholas Cage), but that is the most interesting portion of the whole movie. The rest of the movie is only good during the action scenes, NOT during the dialogue of the other scenes. If you really want to watch a GREAT John Woo movie watch: BROKEN ARROW -or- PAYCHECK -or- his hong kong flicks, with Chow-Yun Fat.