Face/Off (1997)

In order to foil an extortion plot, an FBI agent undergoes a face-transplant surgery and assumes the identity and physical appearance of a ruthless terrorist, but the plan turns from bad to worse when the same criminal impersonates the cop.

Director:

John Woo

Writers:

Mike Werb, Michael Colleary

Stars:

John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 11 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Travolta	...	Sean Archer / Castor Troy
Nicolas Cage	...	Castor Troy / Sean Archer
Joan Allen	...	Dr. Eve Archer
Alessandro Nivola	...	Pollux Troy
Gina Gershon	...	Sasha Hassler
Dominique Swain	...	Jamie Archer
Nick Cassavetes	...	Dietrich Hassler
Harve Presnell	...	Victor Lazarro
Colm Feore	...	Dr. Malcolm Walsh
John Carroll Lynch	...	Prison Guard Walton
CCH Pounder	...	Hollis Miller
Robert Wisdom	...	Tito Biondi
Margaret Cho	...	Wanda
James Denton	...	Buzz (as Jamie Denton)
Matt Ross	...	Loomis

Storyline

Sean Archer, a very tough, rugged FBI Agent. Who is still grieving for his dead son Michael. Archer believes that his son's killer is his sworn enemy, a very powerful criminal, Castor Troy. One day, Archer has finally cornered Castor, however, their fight has knocked out Troy cold. As Archer finally breathes easy over the capture of his enemy, he finds out that Troy has planted a bomb that will destroy the entire city of Los Angeles and all of its inhabitants. Unfortunately the only other person who knows its location is Castor's brother Pollux, and he refuses to talk. The solution, a special operation doctor that can cut off people's faces, and can place a person's face onto another person. Archer undergoes one of those surgeries to talk to Pollux. However, Castor Troy somehow regains consciousness and now wants revenge on Archer for taking his face. Not only is Troy ruining Archer's mission, but his personal life as well. Archer must stop Troy again. This time, it's personal.

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Plot Keywords:

face transplant | death of child | face | prison | terrorist | 

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Taglines:

It's like looking in a mirror - only not

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for intense sequences of strong violence, and for strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

27 June 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Face Off

Filming Locations:

Pacific Electric Building, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$23,387,530 (USA) (27 June 1997)

Gross:

£6,163,073 (UK) (2 January 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Permut Presentations, Touchstone Pictures, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally written in 1990, the script was first optioned by producer Joel Silver before falling into the lap of Michael Douglas who, the screenwriters fervently hoped, would star in it alongside Harrison Ford. Instead, Douglas took over as producer with the roles of cop, Sean Archer, and villain, Castor Troy, eventually going to John Travolta and Nicolas Cage respectively.

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Goofs

(at around 14 mins) Near the beginning of the film, when Castor Troy turns round and sees his brother Pollux Troy being pinned down by cops, the camera zooms in on Pollux's face as he shouts "CAS!". However judging by the lip movement and expression of Pollux, it's obvious that the word was dubbed over the video.

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Quotes

Sean Archer: I've said and done some things that made your life hard, I know
Sasha Hassler: How would you? when you left you never looked back
Sean Archer: I just know,
[Adam walks in]
Sean Archer: Sasha I'm not the same person you remember and for what it's worth I'm sorry,
[getting dressed]
Sean Archer: nice looking clothes
Sasha Hassler: Yeah, of course their yours
Sean Archer: [Sees Adam] nice looking kid too
Sasha Hassler: Yeah, of course, his yours too

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Connections

Referenced in Master of Disguise (2013)

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Soundtracks

Over The Rainbow
By Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg
Performed by Olivia Newton-John
Courtesy of MCA Records
By Arrangement with Universal Music Special Markets
Courtesy of Olivia Newton-John

User Reviews

Corny. Crazy. Cool.

Face/Off is amazing because it mixes an outrageously cornball plot with some of the best acting in an action movie. How John Woo pulled it off is beyond me. His visual imagery is flamboyant and decorative, yet never fails to deliver the goods. There is always a flurry of images to grasp our attention. Granted, his typical trademarks are here, but never does the script suffer from the same problems as in his other works.

Nicolas Cage and John Travolta are phenomenal in their dual roles each. The rest of the cast isn't very deep and is more filler than anything else. The editing job feels underdone, particularly when the action sequences get to the "overcooked" staged. Still, how many speedboat chases or airplane crashes are you going to see in a slow-motion?

Overall, a summer action movie that delivers in acting, directing, and most other departments. 4 out of 5 stars.