This is an entry in the Write-Off hosted by Shadow8 to celebrate the works of Hong Kong action director John Woo. The participants list reads like a list of epinios finest movie reviewers because that is exactly what it is: Mike_Bracken, Psychovant, Donlee_Brussel, JackSommersby, JonTurner, Furie, Elerad, knix, systemdwn, JackFoley, Wokelstein, Janesbit1, anderclayton, mangiotto, erinys, squeebinatorx, Zentropajk, Lars_Lindhal, Icemancm. The word to describe my inclusion in this list of writers is "ridiculous," as each of these authors specialize in movie reviews, while I spend most of time in the lowly gourmet section doing beer reviews. Plus they are simply better than me. If you don't believe me, just go read their write-off entries at http://teykaerts.epinions.com/user-shadow8 for incontrevertible proof.
Okay, here we go:
Sean Archer (played by John Travolta) is a high-powered cop in the FBI whose life is rent asunder when a terrorist named Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage) shoots him while he is riding on a carousel with his young son, Michael. The bullet goes through Archer like cr@p through a goose, killing his son and leaving Archer hell-bent on revenge. Finally, after six years of pursuit, Archer finally gets his shot at his son’s murderer, and the ensuing fight leaves Castor in a vegetative state, “never” to awaken.
In order to save the city of L.A from a bomb, Archer is forced to assume his hated enemy’s identity, going through a disturbingly graphic operation in which Tavolta’s character literally switches faces with Cage’s. Of course, Castor Troy wakes up and forces the doctor to give him Archer’s face, so that he can assume Archer’s identity. This leaves Archer trapped in a high-security prison, and the arch-terrorist Castor Troy in charge of the FBI!
Does that sound hokey to you? Well guess what, the story may sound outrageous and silly on the surface, but director John Woo pulls of the miracle turning what could have been a laughable joke of a plot into a deep, probing examination of relationship between good and evil, as well as an equally insightful look into the importance of family. Of course, that isn’t to say that this isn’t an action shoot-‘em-up flick, because it certainly has its share of explosions, gun-fights and blood; the difference between this film and say, Gone In Sixty Seconds, is that ten minutes after turning off the TV, you will still remember the way the movie make you think, whereas with Gone In Sixty Seconds, the only feeling you will remember is drowsiness.
With My Last Breath, I Spit at Thee
I’m not sure why, but there is something undeniably compelling about nemesis tales. The idea of two mortal enemies who are forever connected to each other by mutual hatred, who pit their might against one another in a desperate battle to the death, often finding that they have much in common, yet unable to break away from their eternal struggle. It is a poetic notion, the root of legends and myths, and it is played out beautifully by Travolta and Cage in Face/Off.
Director John Woo is ideally suited to head up a nemesis movie. Woo, an action director who started his career doing Hong Kong exploitation flicks, pioneered the style of artistically filmed action sequences. Gone are the days when action scenes are shot so that we see what is happening as if we were standing right there watching it all transpire. Instead, under the influence of Woo, many of the best action movies now utilize many slow-cam shots, slow-motion gunfire, and artistic touches like distinctly Woo-esque doves flying through gunfights. These Woo-stylings give monotonous action sequences an added layer of aesthetic beauty, allowing the mind to appreciate what is occurring on screen, rather than just allowing everything to wash over us in most forgettable fashion. Would movies like Blade and The Matrix have been so memorable without their exaggerated, slow-motion action sequences? Without Woo’s influence on action movies, we might instead be remembering Wesley Snipes’ and Keaunu Reeve’s acting woes, and no one wants that.
But it is another Woo-istic innovation that makes him the perfect director for Face/Off; the gaze. The gaze is that moment when a character has an epiphany, or suddenly understands the ramifications of what just happened. The gaze is also when two combatants lock eyes, and in a moment of shining lucidity in midst of battle, they realize that they are acting out a grand play on a cosmic stage. The gaze is on wonderful display in Face/Off, with two actors (Cage and Travolta) with deeply expressive faces and eyes portraying arch-enemies who several times come to startling, existential realizations as they stare intently at each other. These moments are carried off with a great deal of verve, with the requisite intense music in the background adding to the sense that something vital is occurring on screen, something worth examining beyond just a surface viewing.
Of course, no amount of dramatic camera-work and long, extended gazes can make the nemesis plot function properly unless the actors do their job, and in this instance, Travolta and Cage both live up to their super-star billing and deliver stellar performances. As Archer, Travolta is purposely unlikable, so singularly obsessed is he with Castor Troy’s destruction. When Travolta is asked to “do” an insane Nicholas Cage impression, he proves that he has some acting range, offering up some nice sly looks and wild, crazy grins and smirks. He also picks up on Cage’s swagger and coolness, as well as his trademark rough drawl.
Even better is Cage, who goes from a tremendously villainous psychopath to a deeply sympathetic, likeable man with amazing believability. One scene in particular is a tremendous testament to Cage’s acting talent. As Sean Archer, Cage is attacked and is forced to mimic Castor Troy’s style of viscous fighting. After whippin’ his opponent, he laughs insanely, but mid laugh his wide-eyed hilarity subtlely shifts to wide-eyed alarm at his own ability to inflict such violence, and then to wide-eyed terror at the difficulty of reigning in the very bloodlust that cost him his own son. It is scene that lasts only a few moments, and yet is deeply inscribed in my memory as one of the great expressive performances of any movie I’ve ever seen.
Good and Evil
Part and parcel with the nemesis tale is relationship between good and evil. In Face/Off we are witnesses to two enemies, one a representive of good, one an avatar of evil. Straight-forward enough, but when they switch lives, the lines begin to blur a little. Castor Troy, to this point an unabashed and remorseless killer, is actually a better family man than Archer. He is passionate, caring, and loving to Archer’s wife, who is played with wonderful delicacy by Joan Allen. To his teen-age daughter, he offers some decent paternal device, and beats the living daylights out of a guy who tries to date-rape her. When Archer assumes Castor’s life, he begins to discover some of what motivates his enemy, mainly his love interest Gina Gershon who is, how shall I say this…a super-fine sex pot.
The question this raises is; if they are so different, so diametrically opposed, then how is it that each man has some affinity for the other’s world? If they were just pure good and pure evil, then surely they could not prosper in the other man’s environment, but instead we witness Troy rise meteorically to the top of the FBI, while Archer stages an unprecedented escape from maximum security prison.
While we see that there is some shading of good and evil, in the final analysis Woo makes it clear that there is a clear distinction, as Troy shakes off whatever morals he may have acquired during his stay in the Archer household, going on a massive killing spree that reduces the population of LA by a tenth. At the same time, Archer, despite seemingly slowly going insane from being forced to emulate his son’s killer, refrains from killing police officers or using excessive force. That is fine by me, as I wouldn’t have liked it one bit if at the end of the movie Archer and Troy just shook hands and parted ways after realizing that they aren’t so different after all. No, rest assured, the primal battle between good and evil rages on till the bitter end.
”A Man Who Doesn’t Spend Time With Family Is Not A Real Man"
At the very heart of Face/Off is the notion of the primacy of family. It is the loss of a son that is the genesis of the arch-rivalry between Archer and Troy. It is the opportunity to be a family man that offers us a glimpse of Troy’s basic human decency. One of the most important scenes in the film, both in terms of plot development and emotional impact is founded upon the importance of family. In the scene, Cage is attempting to prove to his understandably disbelieving wife that he is in fact her husband by telling her about their first date. Cage is absolutely masterful in the scene, coming off as utterly genuine and believable, as well funny and tender. Cage has a rare ability to invoke his characters with so much feeling and depth, and his skill has never been more apparent than in this beautiful monologue.
Conclusions
Face/Off is the sort of movie that lingers on in the mind of the viewer long after the last scene is completed. It lingers because there is so much going on in this movie at once. On the surface, it is a beautifully filmed action movie, complete with no less than six exquisitely filmed fight-scenes that measure up against the battle sequences in any action flick. Beyond that, it boasts to superstars who are at the top of their game here, a very good Travolta (who I usually don’t really care for) and an unbelievably good Nicholas Cage. They both obviously put a lot of time into learning each other’s mannerisms and physical idiosyncrasies, as I was astounded at how convincing both were at playing the opposing role.
On an intellectual plane, the film scores points just for being about two arch-enemies, a poetic notion in and of itself, and it is made even more so by John Woo’s ability to film a movie with a great deal of flare and panache. One of the most memorable scenes in the whole movie is a shot Nicholas Cage emerging from a car onto a windy run-way, with his red-lined trench-coat whipping about like Batman’s cape in dramatic, slow-motion; only Woo could make a scene like that so visually impressive.
Deeper still, and we find that this film is a meditation on the nature of good and evil. In the final analysis, the delineation between the two remains distinct, but we are left pondering how easy it can be to cross over the line, and how similar those who represent either side can be. Throw in some excellent thought-provoking fare about the importance of family, and I can say unabashedly that this is one of my all-time favorite movies. If you are any kind of a fan of action movies, this one will blow you away with some truly amazing special effects sequences. The pacing is quick and easy to follow, the plot is multi-layered and fully engaging, the music is perfectly suited to the material, and the themes are deep and thought-provoking. In my book, it all adds up to a great 140 minutes of movie-watching. Enjoy.
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