Face/Off

Until I saw Face/Off, I had the feeling that I couldn’t appreciate action movies. Die Hard, Speed, The Rock...all of those widely acclaimed action blockbusters were too simple for me in terms of content. They were spectacularly filmed and offered a pleasant way to relax, but they weren’t an engaging experience. And then along came Face/Off and my concerns about my inability to judge action movies fell by the wayside. John Woo convinced me that even a spectacular action flick can have strong dramaturgy with sophisticated psychology of its characters and that even with an action movie, even if it doesn’t hit the mark, I can take an interest in the story and be moved by it. ___ Face/Off has the fantastic subject of face-swapping, elegantly set in the present without coming across as ridiculously unrealistic. It has an unpredictable story with surprising twists and unique performances in the context of the genre. And all of this interspersed with Woo’s brilliant action scenes that soothe the soul of every lover of spectacularly stylized action. Having seen only Woo’s early Hollywood movies Hard Target and Broken Arrow before Face/Off, this masterpiece of his is to me what Hard Boiled and The Killer are to someone else. Face/Off is the best Hollywood action movie ever. (11/04/2002)

The best movie of John Woo in Hollywood. Great action, great Travolta and Cage and great atmosphere. One of the best American action films of the 90s, but it's a long way from what Woo did in Hong Kong. (24/08/2002)

Arguably the best action film of the “golden era” of the nineties. John Woo partially refers to his Asian influences while maintaining a typical Western fragrance and grandeur – precisely to captivate the widest range of audience. The action is practically flawless and incredibly captivating. The idea of ​​a face swap is quite original, which is further enhanced by the relatively “realistic” execution. Both Nicolas Cage and John Travolta are well cast and definitely do not embarrass their characters. Face/Off is simply a different film than most others in the action genre. A tribute to Hollywood blockbusters and probably John Woo's best film. (22/11/2003)

A psychological action film. Admittedly, that sounds a bit weird, but I can’t think of a better description of my feelings from this movie. It's an action ride with the great John Woo's signature, but also emotionally strong with an interesting plot. With Pulp Fiction I originally wrote that Travolta should kiss Tarantino's feet, but he should blow John Woo. This was his last interesting role, and together with Cage, he delivers an acting masterclass. Very good film. (27/02/2003)

John Woo knows his craft, no doubt about it, comrades. Excellent choreography of ordinary shooters (the slaughter in Buzz's house with romantic music is simply perversely beautiful), an impressive camera, compositions with John's lovely pigeons... who could resist? The pilgrimage plot is also lost, which is played out with almost comedic ease (the excellent pervert Travolta and his educational style) and, on the other hand, with urgent desperation (the dog's eyes of muggle Nicholas Cage). The whole thing works brilliantly until the last seconds, but it literally smashes the hellish happy ending with one of Woo's worst slow motions I've ever seen (and I even survived Hard Target!). If I set aside the awkwardness and the end, Face/Off is a valuable member of the powerful action trio of the second half of the 1990s, without any problems equal to Con Air, but on the other hand, it is far from reaching the qualities of The Rock. (28/07/2005)