Review of Face/Off (1997) by Jonny B — 19 Jul 2012
John Travolta and Nicholas Cage take the leading roles expertly in John Woo's excellent action thriller.
The plot sees FBI agent Sean Archer (Travolta) pursue criminal Caster Troy (Cage) as he looks to grant justice. However, when Archer defeats Troy in a fight, he soon realises that he has planted an incredibly dangerous explosive somewhere in Los Angeles which could result in serious consequences if exploded. This forces Archer into desperate measures and he subsequently proceeds with a facial operation which takes the face of the thought-to-be-dead Caster Troy and implants it over his own. This means Travolta is now starring as Cage and soon Cage takes Travolta's original role.
The plot sounds and is thoroughly engaging; the facial operation proceeding was very intellectual and makes you ask the question could this actually happen?
The fact that the two main leads also switch characters is also intriguing and makes you ask a different question: who is best at which role. In my opinion, Nicholas Cage is stronger in the role of Sean Archer (the good) despite putting across a very realistic performance as Caster Troy; Cage's counterpart Travolta thought best suits the villain as he is now past his 'camper' days when he performed in musicals such as Grease.
Overall, Face Off isn't the most unique idea every thought up but it is more than just an engaging viewing and you really feel for the characters due to strong personalities.
It's a fabulous film!
This review of Face/Off (1997) was written by Jonny B on 19 Jul 2012.
Face/Off has generally received very positive reviews.
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