Face / Off: Review By Vamp

Well I have to say that I've been meaning to watch this movie for a VERY long time, despite all the fights I put up with my Mom because she wanted me to see it. When I finally saw it last night, I was blown away. Absolutely blown away! This is possibly one of the most action packed films I've ever seen, and it is a bit confusing, but you get over that right away! I'm also a big fan of John Travolta and Nicolas Cage both, so that's another plus for me. This is definitely a great movie. It's kind of newage, but not so newage it's incredibly unbelievable, and they do the whole technological thing very well, which makes it all the more better!

The director of this movie is John Woo, whom I don't really know, but he definitely does an excellent job with this movie. He works together with the writers of the story, Mike Werb and Michael Colleary. Together they bring us an incredibly original and outstanding story full of action and deception. It's brought together by these three so nicely and it's all very overwhelming, but I mean that in a good way. These guys definitely know what they're doing and the end result definitely pleases everyone.

The visuals in this movie are incredible. Everything is done so well for a movie that only came out in 1997. Not that long ago, I know, but you can tell the movies that came out then from the movies that have come out these days, and this one look like it could've been a 2007 film. The fight sequences are so intense and realistic, that you sometimes feel like you're right there. The process of removing the faces is also very realistic, and it doesn't look TOO technological and advanced, which is something that I like about it. Everything about the visuals is good. The camera angles make the fight scenes look more intense, and the filters make them really cool, it's an overall effect that is actually very pleasing.

The storyline is one that I find to be incredibly original, as well as incredibly intense and action-packed. I've never seen a story like it before. After the death of his son, a detective finally puts the killer away, but soon realizes that the killer was a terrorist, and that he had left behind a bomb that would blow up almost the entire LA, and then finds out that the killer isn't dead. He goes through an expirimental process and they switch faces so that the cop can get more answers, while the killer remains in a coma. The story immediately starts out with an action sequence, and that really catches your attention, kind of like snapping the trap, it keeps you right there hooked on the movie. It's an excellent movie no doubt.

John Travolta stars in the lead of this movie as Sean Archer AND Castor Troy. Sean Archer is a cop whose son was killed by a madman named Castor Troy. Then almost six years later he finally catches Castor Troy and supposedly kills him. The only thing is, is that his family seems to be falling apart. His wife seems to be pulling away, and he barely even knows his daughter anymore, but then he tells them about the capture of Castor Troy, and his wife seems to be normal again. Then he finds out that Castor's not dead, but only in a coma. He then learns that there is a bomb that Castor left behind for him to find, and he must go through an expirimental process to switch faces literally with Castor. He has to lie to his wife about the assignment though, and she starts to pull away again.

Nicolas Cage plays Castor Troy AND Sean Archer. Castor Troy is a crazy terrorist. One day, while trying to sniper Sean Archer down, he accidently kills Archer's son. Archer then runs around trying to catch him, and finally does, putting him into a coma. Then when Castor awakens from this Coma he finds that he is missing his face, and that Archer is running around with it, trying to get information.

This is where Nicolas Cage becomes Sean Archer. With his newley found face Sean Archer enters a prison facility so that he may gain the information he needs to find the bomb, but soon he starts to lose his mind as he is now the man he hates the most. He goes around starting riots and gaining the information from Castor's brother, who is surprised and delighted to see that Castor is alive. That's when Archer gets a visitor who has his face, and he finds out that it is Castor. He finds out that Castor has killed the only three people that know about his life. Soon Archer escapes and hunts down Castor.

This is where John Travolta takes over as Castor Troy. Castor, having woken up to find that he had no face, then demmands the doctor give him Archer's face. After the surgery is done, he kills the doctor, the FBI agent, and Archer's partner. The only three that knew about the switch. Castor then visits Archer in jail and informs him of everything, then leaves him to rot. Castor then begins to take over Archer's life. Sleeping with his wife, making nice with his daughter, and even taking over his job, and defusing the bomb at the last minute making him into a hero. That's when Castor discovers that Archer is after him, having escaped from jail, and Castor then uses all of his new powers to try and stop Archer.

John Travolta and Nicolas Cage do a wonderful job in this movie. Each have their parts down, and I'd think this'd be an incredibly difficult part to get down, but both of them do a tremendous job at doing it. They both also do a great job at immitating eachother's actions, it's actually quite funny to see. They're just great in this movie, and this is also the first time I've seen Nicolas Cage as a bad guy in a movie. They're both good at playing the good guy, and they're both good at playing the bad guy, it's all awesome to see! They make this movie so believable and convincing, it's just amazing!

Joan Allen, whom I've only seen in The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum as Pamela Landy, plays Sean Archer's wife Doctor Eve Archer. When Eve gets the news that Castor Troy is finally dead, she is so relieved, and then when Sean finds out about the bomb, and decides to do the switch, he can't tell her, and so he only tells her that he's got another assignment. She is so tired of her husband's work getting in his way and stuff, and slowly but surely she's beginning to pull away. That's when unbeknownst to her, the switch happens, and Castor Troy takes over the role of her husband. She notices the changes in Sean, and she likes them. He seduces her, says all the right things, DOES all the right things, and she just thinks that he's finally had a change of heart. He even get's back into touch with her daughter, but throughout the whole movie, she has the feeling that something is drastically different about Sean. Joan Allen does an excellent job in this movie. Her character has to be a difficult one because she has to go through so much, with the switch that she doesn't know about. It's all very confusing, but she pulls it all of very nicely, and she's incredibly convincing with the role, making the movie all the more believable. She was definitely a perfect casting choice for this movie.

Alessandro Nivola plays the brother of Castor Troy in this movie. His name is Pollux Troy. He's a bit of what you would call a mad genius/scientist. He's an incredible genius, but he's also very strange and mysterious. He's always on his brother's side no matter what happens, and then one day Sean Archer finally catches them. Castor is killed and Pollux is put away, but then Castor shows up in the same prison and Pollux is overwhelmed, yet slightly paranoid about the different changes in Castor, but Castor proves it's him. Then, Sean Archer shows up, and offers Pollux a release in exchange for information. That's when Pollux finds out what is really going on, and agrees. He's back on Castor's side and doing his work. He's a rather large hinderance to Sean Archer as Archer tries to get at Castor. Alessandro Nivola does an excellent job in this movie. He's definitely got the whole mad genius/scientist character down, and he's incredibly convincing with it, he's just so creepy with it. It really makes the movie all the more believable, and he was definitely another GREAT casting choice for this movie.

All in all I'd have to say that this is one of the best action movies I have ever seen. I recommend this to ANYONE if you have not seen it. Even if you're not into these big action flicks, I'm sure you'll absolutely love this film. It's got action, comedy, and even some touching moments, and it's all blended together very nicely, and the overall effect is just amazing. I'm almost positive you'll absolutely love this movie. I know I did!!!!!