Face/Off review

animation by ROB

So here goes my review of FACE/OFF. As usual (to the annoyance of some, to the delight of others) I will put my day leading up to the film as always to establish the state of mind of the reviewer.

Well lucky you, I slept till 3pm in the afternoon, so I ain't got much of a day before the film!!! I awoke, and checked email. Once again the media seems to be watching me. Scary. This time there were articles in the NEW YORK POST and the CHICAGO-SUN TIMES. I'm referred to offhandedly as a "fiend" Cooooool. Seems odd that the articles are labeling me as an enemy to Hollywood. Afterall, I've only tanked 2 films - Speed 2 and Batman & Robin. Both of which the seemingly vast majority of filmgoers and critics agree upon. They talk about how it's unfair to review advance prints, yet at the same time workprints of MEN IN BLACK, CONTACT, 187, COPLAND, SPAWN and many others have been reviewed and mentioned on past pages with glowing praise. That Merlin quote, "A dream to some, A NIGHTMARE to others" comes to mind!

As I go down my email list, I see that Scott Yagemann responded to my 20 questions I sent him. Coooool. The day is getting better. I get out of bed, and go into the living room to find a supercool HARRY MUDD action figure that a friend bought for me. Coooooooool. The day's getting better. Then I notice a thick mailing envelope from a friend in the magazine world. I'm gitty, it's something I've been waiting for, for months. A 400 page artist sketch book (unauthorized only about 30 of these in the world) of racy babe sketches. Who is the artist, well, I'm not allowed to say, but he's real good with Batman!!! Suffice to say, the day is getting better.

I go to have drinks with my father, who is going to see FACE/OFF with me. He tells me about a two page article in the NEW YORK OBSERVER that is by LIZ SMITH with JOEL SCHUMACHER. Joel says something like the 'forces of evil and darkness are trying to force me to make films about evil and darkness'. Ummmm, right. I smile and chuckle. It's time to get to the theater.

Face/Off was showing at the LINCOLN theater, when we arrive, the mysteriously cool insider who got me the passes is holding a spot for me. Coool, I get to stand in air-con. Ahhhhhh, the coolness of it all. The lobby had a Spawn cardboard standee, which IMHO ain't too sharp looking. There were EXCESS BAGGAGE posters, CONTACT, COPLAND and many others about the theater. Time flies in the 2 hour line, as great conversation is had. My mysterious cool insider, tells tale of a special screening of CONTACT here in Austin with Matthew McCougnehey (msp?), and I've heard the possibility of Jodie but that ain't certain. Soooo cooooooool. The day's getting better!!!

The line moves into the theater. Free stuff galore. I win a poster, hat and t-shirt!!! Coool, the day is getting better. A couple of cool trailers appear. What are they? Damn if I can remember the titles.

First trailer - Morgan Freeman vs the serial killer movie. Well the theater couldn't get their lights off during 75% of the trailer, so I can't vouch for the effectiveness of it, you see the crowd was loud in their desire for the lights to be off. Oh well, maybe next time.

Second Trailer - IN AND OUT (it just came to me) Well, this was a pretty damn cool trailer. Of course it had to be, the film is directed by FRANK OZ. Basic premise is a high school drama teacher (Kevin Kline) has a former student go on and win a BEST ACTOR Oscar. When his former pupil is giving his thank you speech he mentions Kline, then adds that he is gay. That sets into motion a whole series of things. Kline's character is not gay. This looks like the sort of goofy comedy I could get into. Bring it on.

Then we had the standard THX trailer (the one where ya just have the logo, sound and Audience is Listening)

Next came the Presidio Theater Dolby Digital promo. You know, what is the point of this, this one doesn't even showcase sound, directional use of sound, subtle sound, cool bass. Useless waste of space. By the way it's that going through the canyon one. Argh!!!

Then it was time for FACE/OFF.

I had very high expectations for this film. Spies and agents had sent in reports saying everything from "it's a really good film" to "it's a masterpiece". Well, damn if I wasn't blown away.

I loved this one. This was a WOO film. For those of you that have not seen THE KILLER, HARDBOILED and BULLET IN THE HEAD (and if you haven't seen them, what the hell go get em now!!!) this is one of Woo's best. It's hard to rate it against the Hong Kong Woos. I have found as a cool film viewer that watching Hong Kong films where they are speaking in a tongue I am completely unfamiliar with, I embody them with a level of coolness far greater than that of the average merely immortal Hollywood action star. I tend to focus on the Hong Kong actor's face, and to read every detail of that face. With action stars that speak my language, I tend to focus on their actions. This automatically distances me from the actor. Thus the Hong Kong actor is cooler.

However, in this film that rule went out the window. This is what we the audience that digs hardcore action films are searching for. This isn't some luxury ride on a yacht, here we have on water shooting that portrays not only SPEED but VELOCITY! Here we have artistic design, but we have a STORY, CHARACTERS, and DIALOGUE to satiate our hunger!!! This is why I see movies. I'm searching for ones like this.

I followed this film from script to screen. I was heartbroken when the majority of Sci-fi elements were dropped. When it moved to LA from the cooler San Francisco locale, I was let down. When the fantastic opening shot (in the script draft I have) was taken out, I nearly cried. This had all the earmarks of a project that the producers were killing. But they kept the number one thing that drove the story. THE STORY. The heart and soul of the script made it to the screen. And while the action set pieces were re-conceived, they were BRILLIANTLY realized by an absolute master of the genre, John Woo.

John Travolta & Nicolas Cage deliver wonderful turns as their respective characters. Both have flashy roles, which the deliver with both fantastic sublety and over the top grandeur. Joan Allen turns in yet again another solid performance, not just window dressing, but a realized character. Aaaaah, that's soooo nice to see. However, it's Alessandro Nivola that steals the acting show for me. Something about his character (Nick Cage's brother) tickled me pink. This guy is someone to keep an eye or two on.

In the technical arena. WOW. Oliver (Die Hard 2)Wood's cinematography was immensely cool. A sequence that takes place on water was breathtaking. Of course credit for that sequence also goes to the editor, Christian A. Wagner, composer, John Powell, and whoever the hell was in charge of those boats. WOW. De Bont should be forced to study this sequence over and over and over again. FANTASTIC.

Finally, let me leave you with the feeling I currently have coursing through me. When you see as many films as I do in theaters (over 300 last year) it's easy to become jaded and disillusioned. A pair of films like Speed 2 and Batman & Robin can weigh on you. A professional film reviewer called me the other day (long distance), he needed my help on an article. After the article talk (not about me) he told me he had a chance to see FACE/OFF later that night, but had decided to not go. He had seen SPEED II, B&R and NOTHING TO LOSE as his three previous films. He sounded beat and worn down. He said he would be seeing AIR FORCE ONE, but just about everything else he was blowing off. Hollywood had beat him. He should have seen this film. This film makes up for all the bad movies I have endured this year. Double Team, B&R, SPEED II, (I'm drawing a blank), etc. To me it's worth getting your hands dirty digging, if you can find a vein of gold. FACE/OFF tapped a vein, and I'll be reeling from that high for a good long while. Maybe I'll hit some other veins. I know I will. But this film has that tingly high, that rush of adrenaline that only kick ass action films can provide. This is far and away the best ACTION film I've seen this year, and probably last year too. But ya know what, I hope Air Force One is better, but it's gonna be haaaaaaard to beat WOO's flick.

This one had me swerving in my chair, it had me cringe it had me spontaneously applauding, and yelling out a quick breathless "wooooo hoooo" which was echoed throughout the theater, and at points I was the echo. Afterwards, as I left the theater desperate to be able to jump off a building and fly, I ran into my fellow film goers. Some of the same faces I saw at Batman And Robin, gone was the Hiroshima Stare, and in it's place was that look of stunned ecstasy. That cushion of air in every step, the undercranked sped up reality of a cool movie. We were babbling about Woo, about THIS is the way it's done. Loads of em rushed to get in a car and tell the world on a local access tv show called the REEL DEAL. And cool was surely on their tongues.

We film fans endure many indignities. If we hate a film and voice our opinions we are labeled 'fiends', I wonder what would call us, if Hollywood only made movies as good as this. This has filled a much needed slot in my year end list. For hard-core action film thus far this year FACE/OFF will stun your senses and pump you up. Hell, I can't wait to see it again. When Nick Cage says, "Ain't It Cool" be sure to cheer, because by that point, you'll know the answer, "IT SURE AS HELL IS!!!!"

P.S. When I got home, imagine my delight to find the soundtrack to Enter The Dragon sent all the way from Hawaii, thanks Kekoa (it's what I have been listening to while writing this) Life is soooo cool sometimes.