John Travolta and Nicolas Cage trade faces in John Woo’s 1997 action film Face/Off. The two actors play identical roles, each taking on the other’s identity through a surgical procedure, and the movie follows the consequences of that switch.
Trailer, via YouTube Movies.
The Face Swap
Sean Ambrose is a hardened FBI agent. Castor Troy is a terrorist leader who has spent years planning an attack on American soil. After a shootout, Ambrose dies, and Troy steals his face and identity. The plan is to frame Ambrose for the attack and escape the country. The government responds by putting a living Ambrose into Troy’s face.
The Hunt Across Europe
The film spends its middle stretch on a chase across Europe and America. The two men hunt each other while trying to stop the attack Troy set in motion. The action scenes are staged with Woo’s signature style, full of slow-motion shots, wide-angle tracking, and dramatic music.
The Twist
The twist comes late in the film, when the audience learns that Ambrose survived the earlier shootout and has been living as Troy all along. This revelation changes the reading of everything that came before it. The man who seemed to be Troy is really Ambrose, and the man who seemed to be Ambrose is really Troy.
The Two Leads
Cage plays Ambrose as a calm, controlled figure. Travolta plays Troy as a wild, unpredictable one. Both performances are strong, and the film leans heavily on the contrast between the two characters to drive its central idea forward.
The Weak Points
The plot has holes. The government’s decision to put Ambrose into Troy’s face feels rushed and unexplained. Some of the supporting cast members exist only to fill space around the leads. The film also relies on violence for its thrills, and the payoff of the twist is smaller than the setup promises.
The Climax
The film ends with a confrontation between the two men, each wearing the other’s face. The attack Troy planned is stopped, and the film closes on a note of tragedy rather than triumph.
A Look at the Two Performances
| Character | Actor | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Sean Ambrose | Nicolas Cage | Calm, controlled FBI agent |
| Castor Troy | John Travolta | Wild, unpredictable terrorist |
The Verdict
Face/Off is a flawed but entertaining action film. The twist is clever, the performances are strong, and the action scenes are exciting. The film drags in stretches and its ending leaves some questions unanswered, but it remains a notable entry in both stars’ catalogues.
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