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I live by few rules in life, but amongst them is this: if a person or group of people starts their blog out as a one-sided conservation/prayer to God about their coming to terms with their doubts about such deity, and that blog morphs into a pretty dedicated film blog, I'm going to be a fan. That's what Whitney and Brian pretty much did with Dear Jesus, and the results are pretty funny. Here, Whitney shares with us just why Face/Off is a classic.
PRO
The long version: Face/Off is a joke. I submit that any movie with a forward slash in the title is probably a joke, or at least should be considered a "flick," or a "show" and not necessarily quality film. But, wow, is it ever a good joke! Amid the eight person stand-offs, the standard John Woo doves, and plenty of dropping and rolling action sequences there is John Travolta Trading Faces With Nicolas Cage.
Trading faces!! As in their faces are cut off and put on the skulls of the other person (not to mention their finger prints, body types and voices, of course)! And this medical procedure is so flawless that even John Travolta's screen wife doesn't suspect that her husband has been replaced by an evil crime boss!
Like many of Cage's films, Face/Off is not meant to be taken seriously (they switch faces for God's sake). It is a movie deserving of all the exclamation points a critic can possibly muster. This is the blockbuster at its finest, purely escapist, well-coordinated, popcorn selling fare.
Most importantly, it is clear that the actors are having fun. While many of Cage's films might not be so transparently ridiculous, this one tops the charts of ridiculosity and Cage is at his hammiest. Gritting teeth, flamboyant gesturing, Cage and Travolta fight for the spotlight here and, as far as I'm concerned, they manage to both squeeze in.
The short version: Nicolas Cage and John Travolta SWITCH FACES!
England-based Ibetolis is another in the long list of bloggers that really need to stop with their work or social life and get to writing more. From editorials to reviews to his "Now, That's How You Open a Movie" series, he's turned Film for the Soul into a place for fans of film old and new to find some quality writing and appreciation of the craft. He just needs to do more of it.
CON
The chances are that as an avid cinephile you will inevitably come across a film that leaves you cold. A film that, as hard as you muster, you won't be able to find a single good thing to say about it. The law of averages says that this will at least happen once every ten years or so, and no matter what, you will forever be left on the outside, looking in, as everyone, including people you admire and respect, fall about the said film with a love and passion so misplaced it will appear surreal and otherworldly to your horrified eyes.
You'll look on, scratch your head and ponder, 'is it me?' and 'have I missed something' before you realise that no. You haven't. It's them and they're wrong.
Very, very wrong.
The films sucks, it will always suck, it will never stop sucking.
And that film is Face/Off.
Gimmicky, sloppily conceived and shoddily put together, Face/Off attempts a B-movie plot line without half the intelligence or creation of the movies it's ripping off. Once again we have to put up with the bastard offspring, from the marriage made in hell, that is Woo and Hollywood. Once again, Travolta does his best gurning impression and hopes to pass it off as acting and once again we, the tired, apathetic audience lap it all up, grinning and gurgling like the appreciative apes that we are.
When you don't think it can get any worse, there's always the Cagester to set the record straight.
In the middle of this piddling attempt at a movie Cage scurries around, wailing like a banshee, hollering and whooping like a drunk at a football match, lambasting into shot like a demented psychopath on a space hopper; playing it so large in fact, that there's hardly room for anyone else in the film. Woefully, gob-smackingly bad, it's as if the powers that be had secretly planned the whole thing in a vain attempt to bury the Cagemeister once and for all.
Sadly, they failed.
There is so much to hate about this film it's almost impossible to find a start point, however as this is about the Cage man then I'll aim all my vitriol at him. Ham-fisted, pathetic, horrendous, bubonic and just. Plain. Crap. Cage comes off like a Rottweiler without the wit, a hand grenade of bad lines and terrible prancing, a buffoon in actors clothing. Don't believe me that Cage is at his stinking worst in this film, then how about this little scene or what about this one? As if Cage at normal speed is bad enough, here we have to put up with the performing gimp in slow-mo.
I'm by far a Cage hater, in fact I think the man has made some fine films and although his style divides audiences it sometimes works to his advantage; this however was not one of those occasions. I can say nothing of merit about Cage in this film. Or, for that fact, Face/Off. Or, after watching Face/Off again, I can say nothing of merit about humanity.
In fact I hate this film so much that I now hate Fletch for making me watch it.
Just leave me alone now, I need to rest.
I live by few rules in life, but amongst them is this: if a person or group of people starts their blog out as a one-sided conservation/prayer to God about their coming to terms with their doubts about such deity, and that blog morphs into a pretty dedicated film blog, I'm going to be a fan. That's what Whitney and Brian pretty much did with Dear Jesus, and the results are pretty funny. Here, Whitney shares with us just why Face/Off is a classic.
PROThe long version: Face/Off is a joke. I submit that any movie with a forward slash in the title is probably a joke, or at least should be considered a "flick," or a "show" and not necessarily quality film. But, wow, is it ever a good joke! Amid the eight person stand-offs, the standard John Woo doves, and plenty of dropping and rolling action sequences there is John Travolta Trading Faces With Nicolas Cage.
Trading faces!! As in their faces are cut off and put on the skulls of the other person (not to mention their finger prints, body types and voices, of course)! And this medical procedure is so flawless that even John Travolta's screen wife doesn't suspect that her husband has been replaced by an evil crime boss!
Like many of Cage's films, Face/Off is not meant to be taken seriously (they switch faces for God's sake). It is a movie deserving of all the exclamation points a critic can possibly muster. This is the blockbuster at its finest, purely escapist, well-coordinated, popcorn selling fare.
Most importantly, it is clear that the actors are having fun. While many of Cage's films might not be so transparently ridiculous, this one tops the charts of ridiculosity and Cage is at his hammiest. Gritting teeth, flamboyant gesturing, Cage and Travolta fight for the spotlight here and, as far as I'm concerned, they manage to both squeeze in.
The short version: Nicolas Cage and John Travolta SWITCH FACES!
England-based Ibetolis is another in the long list of bloggers that really need to stop with their work or social life and get to writing more. From editorials to reviews to his "Now, That's How You Open a Movie" series, he's turned Film for the Soul into a place for fans of film old and new to find some quality writing and appreciation of the craft. He just needs to do more of it.
CONThe chances are that as an avid cinephile you will inevitably come across a film that leaves you cold. A film that, as hard as you muster, you won't be able to find a single good thing to say about it. The law of averages says that this will at least happen once every ten years or so, and no matter what, you will forever be left on the outside, looking in, as everyone, including people you admire and respect, fall about the said film with a love and passion so misplaced it will appear surreal and otherworldly to your horrified eyes.
You'll look on, scratch your head and ponder, 'is it me?' and 'have I missed something' before you realise that no. You haven't. It's them and they're wrong.
Very, very wrong.
The films sucks, it will always suck, it will never stop sucking.
And that film is Face/Off.
Gimmicky, sloppily conceived and shoddily put together, Face/Off attempts a B-movie plot line without half the intelligence or creation of the movies it's ripping off. Once again we have to put up with the bastard offspring, from the marriage made in hell, that is Woo and Hollywood. Once again, Travolta does his best gurning impression and hopes to pass it off as acting and once again we, the tired, apathetic audience lap it all up, grinning and gurgling like the appreciative apes that we are.
When you don't think it can get any worse, there's always the Cagester to set the record straight.
In the middle of this piddling attempt at a movie Cage scurries around, wailing like a banshee, hollering and whooping like a drunk at a football match, lambasting into shot like a demented psychopath on a space hopper; playing it so large in fact, that there's hardly room for anyone else in the film. Woefully, gob-smackingly bad, it's as if the powers that be had secretly planned the whole thing in a vain attempt to bury the Cagemeister once and for all.
Sadly, they failed.
There is so much to hate about this film it's almost impossible to find a start point, however as this is about the Cage man then I'll aim all my vitriol at him. Ham-fisted, pathetic, horrendous, bubonic and just. Plain. Crap. Cage comes off like a Rottweiler without the wit, a hand grenade of bad lines and terrible prancing, a buffoon in actors clothing. Don't believe me that Cage is at his stinking worst in this film, then how about this little scene or what about this one? As if Cage at normal speed is bad enough, here we have to put up with the performing gimp in slow-mo.
I'm by far a Cage hater, in fact I think the man has made some fine films and although his style divides audiences it sometimes works to his advantage; this however was not one of those occasions. I can say nothing of merit about Cage in this film. Or, for that fact, Face/Off. Or, after watching Face/Off again, I can say nothing of merit about humanity.
In fact I hate this film so much that I now hate Fletch for making me watch it.
Just leave me alone now, I need to rest.
