Date: Mon 15-Dec-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Playing-Face-Travolta-Cage-Woo

Full Text:

(rev "Face/Off" for Now Playing, 12/12/97)

Now Playing--

`Face/Off': A Modern Macbeth?

By Trey Paul Alexander III

One of my most glorious moments as a high school English student was

convincing my Advanced Placement teacher that "The Enemy Within" episode of

"Star Trek" -- the one where Captain Kirk gets split into two beings, one

good, the other bad -- was rooted in a line from Shakespeare's Macbeth . In

the play, the would-be king voices his "black and deep desires" for the

throne, yet contends with an awareness that his plans are indeed vile. A war

within the self, between doing good or evil, is established, and all humans

wage this battle and it is only by divine grace that any of us elect to do

good.

I thought this observation was pure genius! Okay, well not really. But the

investigation of a character's duality -- or the struggle to do right over

wrong -- has indeed been central to countless tales over the centuries, and

when done well makes for riveting drama.

Exploration of this theme is what drove the summer hit Face/Off , which is now

available on video and is one of the country's top rental cassettes. As

Christmas approaches and season's greetings overtake us, an influx of new

flicks will hit the movie theatres, all crowding before year's end, hoping to

qualify for Oscar bids. Yet during the holidays, there is also time to catch

up on movies you didn't see during the summer, hence this review of one of the

most kinetic and rich action thrillers of the year.

Face/Off begins its riff on the good vs evil duality theme by pitting

straight-laced FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) against sadist terrorist

Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). Archer's loathing of his prey runs deep, as the

criminal was also responsible for the death of the FBI man's son. Early in the

film, Archer apprehends Troy in a sting operation that leaves the terrorist in

a coma.

However, victory is incomplete because hidden somewhere in Los Angeles is an

immensely destructive bomb, and only Troy's brother knows where it is. To find

it, Archer must infiltrate the circle of the circle of the man whom he has

psychologically studied for years. So now, through sci-fi surgical wizardry,

Archer physically becomes Troy: Archer has his own face temporarily removed

and the visage of his arch enemy grafted onto his mug.

While Archer works his way into the confidences of Troy's brethren, the

comatose villain awakes from unconsciousness and takes possession of Archer's

likeness. Thus, the movie explores what happens when the hero bores into the

maw of the criminal underworld and his counterpart slyly infiltrates Archer's

FBI career and family life. Are the two adversaries really two sides of the

same coin? Will they find it remarkably easy to assume the guide of the other?

One of the many joys of Face/Off is seeing the acting talents of Cage and

Travolta actually engaged, rather than using them simply as marquee names to

up the hype factor of the movie. Travolta arguably has the flashier role

because he begins (as Archer) with more discretion and then pulls out all the

stops as the more flamboyant Troy-in-Archer's-body character. Yet Cage is just

as impressive because he wonderfully conveys Archer's pain even as he wears

the scowl and lifestyle of his arch enemy. The rewind capabilities of video

will come in handy to catch all the fine moments of the two stars in action.

Hong Kong director John Woo triumphs in his third American production, rated R

for heavy doses of violence and profanity. Woo is finally given full rein to

unleash his stimulating, satisfying blend of visual panache -- several finely

choreographed action sequences astound, particularly an operatic scene in

which a child, wearing headphones blaring "Over The Rainbow," witnesses the

carnage of a blazing shoot-out -- and dramatic tension, as exemplified by the

zestful performances of Travolta, Cage and co-star Joan Allen.