Face / Off (1997)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1997
	Director: John Woo (Paycheck, Mission: Impossible 2)
	Actors: John Travolta (Pulp Fiction, Battlefield Earth), Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider 1-2, Benjamin Gates 1-2), Joan Allen
	Country: USA
	Genre: Action
	Conditions of visioning: 25/03.2019, VOD, 42" TV screen.
Synopsis: In order to locate the bomb placed by his Archenemy Castor Troy now in a coma (Cage), FBI agent Sean Archer (Travolta) is forced to take his identity, face voice and all. Those plans get screwed when Castor awakes.
Review: This movie fits its description of the "best" Action movie ever made, or at least of the most 90's Action movie ever. It is so over-the-top on so many levels: slow-motion gun draws with doves and a sunset in the background, helicopter and cars chasing a plane taking off, multiple twists around the identity exchange, family over-drama and background between the two enemies, EXPLOSIONS (yeah in capital letters like Mr. Torgue would say in the Borderlands video games), comics book villain, my god the boat chase, all until the tear-pulling ending. This may all be ridiculous and ridiculed in a Michael Bay 2000's movie like Transformers, it is shown with a serious tone in Face / Off and was in fact in the 90's the top of what people wanted: Action and more Action, looking in particular towards Asian for the best of it (thus the director John Woo). So put back in context it was a great movie, nowadays it is not possible to watch seriously. For example the scene when the two protagonists face each other on both sides of a wall paved with mirrors may be seen as original and very strong in visual meaning, or as basic stupid obvious imagery. That's probably the dilemma with all Action movies of that time, and as Face / Off is the "best" of them, it suffers the most from the passage of time. Irrespective of that, I did enjoy watching it as it reminded me of simpler time when the audience could be fed such testosterone-filled flicks and not bitch about it. I may soon continue watching more 90's pearls like Broken Arrow or Con Air.
Rating: 6 /10