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'Face/Off' - The Quest to Purify My Pop Culture Soul, vol. 21
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by RFP
The Quest to Purify My Pop Culture Soul" is RFP's attempt to finally see all of the movies that he's wanted to see. Many of these are some of the most successful films in Hollywood. Some of them didn't make much at all. Chances are, you've seen most of these. Join in the discussion as RFP stops procrastinating and takes the time to experience these movies for the first time.
The Quest to Purify My Pop Culture Soul, vol. 21
"Face/Off"
Starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage
Movies are nothing if not a reflection of the human condition, specifically the desires, fears and ambitious that all human beings feel at some point in their lives. There's not a person alive that hasn't felt the burning embers of envy toward another person's lifestyle. It could be money, property, significant other, education, body type, or career, but at some point we all experience the desire or wish to obtain something that someone else possesses.
There is an entire subsection of film devoted to the pursuit of becoming someone else. This subsection can be divided down into three categories.
1. The Pursuit of/ Regression of Age. This involves the main character regaining lost youth or gaining years overnight. (ex: Big; 13 Going on 30; The Kid; 17 Again)
2. Life Swapping. In this situation, Character A gains the appearance of Character B, and vice versa, so that each character experiences the other's life. The most popular version of this is the parent/child life swap. (ex: Freaky Friday - 1976 and 2003; Like Father, Like Son; The Change-Up; The Hot Chick)
3. The Gender Bender. Man becomes woman, woman becomes man. Whereas the first two categories are achieved via supernatural means (a mysterious game, a wishing well, etc), the characters in this category usually dress up like their gender opposite in order to obtain a particular goal. (ex: Mrs. Doubtfire; She's the Man; Tootsie; Some Like It Hot; Sorority Boys; White Chicks; Big Momma's House)
Face/Off clearly lies in the number two category, although the life swapping procedure isn't done via supernatural methods, but with the scientific method of lopping faces off and sewing them back on.
Squandering the gift of a career revival that was given to him via Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, John Travolta stars as FBI agent, Sean Archer. Archer's sole obsession is to take down notorious terrorist, Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage).
The obsession is personal as years earlier, a mustachioed Cage attempted to assassinate Travolta, but accidentally killed the FBI agent's young son instead.
Six years later, Archer finally corners Castor Troy. Nicolas Cage plays Troy with equal parts ham, overacting, and glee. His hammy flourishes tend to embellish otherwise ridiculous dialogue. In a less dedicated actor's hands, lines such as "I'm about to unleash the Biblical plague that 'Hell-A' deserves" might fall completely flat.
After Archer's confrontation with Troy leave the terrorist in a coma, Sean believes his family can move and the memory of his lost son will finally be able to rest in peace. Unfortunately, the FBI discovers that Troy left a chemical weapon bomb somewhere in a populous area of Los Angeles. The FBI's bright idea: to have Archer infiltrate Troy's crew to find out where the bomb is hidden.
Let me say right now that the movie is an enjoyable summer popcorn action flick. I didn't hate this movie. But....the key plot point of Face/Off is pretty stupid.
In order to get in tight with Troy's crew, specifically his brother, Pollux, the FBI wants Sean to impersonate Castor Troy. But they don't want him to do it with elaborate make-up. They don't want him to play the part of some long lost friend. Nope, they want him to be Castor Troy by wearing his face like a hunter would wear the pelt of the coyote he just killed.
So while Castor is in a coma, they plan on cutting off his face and putting it on Sean's head. To do that, they have to cut off Archer's face and let it float in a jar of liquid until Archer can get the info they need. When he's done, they will just swap the faces back out. No problem.
The new Sean Archer, wearing a Nicolas Cage face, is put into a special prison where the inmates wear heavy metal boots and the floors are magnetized, so that he can get close to Pollux. Meanwhile, Castor Troy wakes up and completely flips out because, y'know, he doesn't have a fucking face.
He forces the doctors to put Archer's mug over his faceless meat and kills them all to destroy any evidence that this procedure ever happened. That's when the shenanigans start to begin. Castor starts to use his newfound Danny Zuko face to take over Archer's life. Archer must escape from jail and convince the world that he's the real Sean Archer.
Has Some Part of My Pop Culture Soul Been Saved By Watching This Movie? Yes. There are plenty of ridiculous moments in this movie, but it still is a lot of fun. I already mentioned how I thought the face transplant idea as a viable option for going undercover was an idiotic plot device.
Other cringe-worthy moments include the repeated use of the movie's title by a drug addled Cage-Archer, who is trying to fit in with Castor's old gang. "I want to take his face....off. Eyes, nose, skin, teeth. It's coming off." Someone needs to tell the screenwriter that "teeth" aren't part of a person's face. Yes, you can blame that slip on the fact that Cage's character is trippin' balls, but c'mon.
The gunfight in a church with white doves flying around and religious imagery/metaphors being tossed around was a bit much. The climatic battle on top of a moving speedboat that just happens to avoid numerous piers and docks before running aground, flipping up, and exploding was the sort of dumb action that make certain critics cringe when they watch these types of films.
Also, Sean Archer (Travolta) has this annoying character trait of swiping his hand over the faces of people that he loves. Get your filthy paws off my face, man.
One last complaint: the ending was a bit too tidy for my tastes. Not to ruin too much, but Archer ends up with his Travolta face back, his family's love, and a replacement son. Aw, happy endings.
Despite all the complaints, I did enjoy this flick. Cage and especially Travolta do a good job mimicking each other's mannerisms and speech patterns.
Saved or Failed: SAVED
The next attempt to redeem my pop culture soul happens next Friday.
If you have seen "Face/Off", your achievement badge "John Travolta's Floating Face" is below. Create a folder on your facebook page titled "Film Geek" and save the image to that folder. You'll be able to track your progress and show the world how geeky you really are.
-RFP
Categories: RFP, Quest to Purify Pop Cultural Soul, movies
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