John Travolta was still enjoying his career revival off the back of "Pulp Fiction" when this action/adventure/sci-fi film was released in 1997.
He plays an FBI man (Sean Archer) who captures criminal Nicholas Cage (Castor Troy) after a bloody shoot-out. 6 years earlier Castor killed Sean's son. Castor was trying to kill Sean at the time but shot the son instead.
Dominique Swain, Gina Gershon, Joan Allen, and Nick Cassavetes also star.
Castor is seriously hurt after the fight. There's not enough evidence to send Castor to prison (they believe he is planning terrorist atrocities but even he doesn't know where the bomb is so the gang have to be infiltrated) but while he's in hospital, FBI scientists come up with the idea of a face transplant. Sean will swap faces with Castor and he will then infiltrate the gang in prison to get more evidence. The mission is meant to take 6 days.
However, Castor in turn, takes Sean's face and this causes problems! They haven't counted on
him waking up. He demands to get Sean's face. It's hard not to feel sorry for Castor when he wakes up, despite his crimes. It really is horrific.
Things certainly haven't gone to plan and it's a while before anyone realises what has happened. Sean ends up fighting for his own life and that of his remaining family. The prison is really horrendous and Sean vows to do something about the human rights violations that are going on.
Both actors get to play both parts in effect. It's Nicholas Cage who is a revelation though. He's hilarious as the singing terrorist (though you often feel that you shouldn't laugh!) and he's excellent as he takes on the role of Sean after the face swap. He even sounds like Travolta in places and his reaction when he realises he has the face of the criminal who has killed his son his heart-breaking.
The best line is "I still sound like me". Cage really does copy Travolta's voice brilliantly.
Meanwhile, Travolta is good as the bad guy who is now pretending to be a family man and he certainly seems to be enjoying himself! What's funny is that Castor often prances around and of course, John is a dancer after all. I think this was great casting.
The scene where the 2 meet each other after both face swaps is truly tremendous. "Nothing like having your face cut off to disturb your sleep" is a great line.
Cage is excellent as the helpless Sean and Travolta is clearly revelling in his "bad guy" status. Castor has burned all the evidence that would show that Sean is Sean. He's trapped as are all the FBI staff who had been murdered in the fire. Nobody in the prison believes him and he just gets hit by a guard when he tries to tell them that there is a bomb in a shopping centre and that Castor must be stopped. Castor tells one of the gang in prison what is really going on and he then defuses the bomb. It's funny how Castor really believes his real face is far more superior to that belonging to Sean.
Another good part of the film is when Castor in effect seduces Sean's wife. He's taking full advantage of the situation. It's sick but also amusing. "You seem so different", says "his" wife. If only she knew! The irony is, Castor is treating her better in some respects that Sean does. He is also good with the daughter when she is attacked. However, his true evil nature shines through as he visits the grave of the boy he killed, and doesn't have an ounce of remorse.
Sean's despair as he tries to escape from the prison is very frustrating. When he realises he's in the middle of the sea, you really feel for him.
Finally, the family are informed by Sean as to what has happened and things finally start to get better for him, even though he is still believed to be Castor and is therefore a wanted man! After his wife, Eve is finally convinced and several violent scenes and crashes later, there's a bloody ending.
The style of the film is very "art-house" at times. Slow motion camera work, bright lights and fires and classical music as well as a perverse use of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" during a fight scene.
This Certificate 18 John Woo directed film is very daft in lots of ways but it's very entertaining. The only thing is, the terrorism aspect seems all too real now.
The prison scenes are very disturbing and there is a lot of violence throughout and bad language but then this is a Certificate 18.
This is a very entertaining 133 minutes long and I can thoroughly recommend it.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
An international terrorist for hire named Castor Troy is being relentlessly pursued by ... more
Sean Archer an FBI agent whose son Castor accidentally killed in an assassination attempt years earlier. After finally catching Troy Archer's troubles have only ju...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Oscar. winning superstar Nicolas Cage (Con Air) and screen icon John Travolta (Pulp ... more
Fiction) battle head to head in FACE/OFF...the ultimate cat and mouse thriller directed by the world's most acclaimed action film director, John Woo! To avenge the sens...
Advantages: i personaily think that 2 out 0f 3 of these films are brilliant really worth watching Disadvantages: has to be the fact it has the film the rock
Jul 23rd, 2004
(Jul 22nd, 2005)
very helpful by (85%):
helpful by (15%):
