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Face/Off Movie Streaming.
Movie Title: Face/Off Face/Off is available for streaming or downloading. |
It took two Hollywood films (Hard Target and Broken Arrow) before John Woo was allowed to reduce loose with his trademark style on Face/Off. The result was his most commercially and critically successful American film at that point in his career. However, for fans of his Hong Kong films, this one seemed like a highlight reel from his earlier work as Woo recycled many of his signature shots Birds flying in wearisome motion? Check. Guy Leaping in the air while firing two guns simultaneously? Check. Unfortunately, Face/Off marks the apex of his Hollywood career. Woo has done nothing since that’s been as fine. So, to celebrate the film’s 10th anniversary, Paramount has revisited the film with a stamp modern special edition.
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Woo works hard to sell the film’s admittedly odd gimmick by throwing all kinds of scientific mumbo jumbo at us and lingering on shots of spiffy looking technology. The swapping of identities also allows the filmmaker to expect one of his favourite themes: how two people can indicate similar characteristics but be on opposite sides of the law and on opposite sides of the apt spectrum. It is nice to survey Woo finally given a decent-sized budget to play with and two big-time movie stars like Cage and Travolta to work with. Despite a few heroic glimmers, like staging a chaotic gunfight around a child listening to “Under the Rainbow,” we unruffled accept a recycling of Woo’s stylistic trademarks. However, this can be somewhat forgiven as it was the first precise exposure for many North Americans to his work on a mainstream level.
The first disc features an audio commentary by director John Woo and screenwriters Mike Werb and Michael Colleary. Woo says that he initially passed on the project because he didn’t judge that he could do a science fiction film, but after working with CGI on Broken Arrow, felt more comfortable with the understanding. The writers say that Woo concentrated on the characters and their emotions in their conversations together.
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Also included is an additional commentary with Werb and Colleary that features a lot of repeated comments from the previous track. Werb and Colleary stress that they wanted to write an action film with a villain that was unbiased as bewitching as the hero.
There are six deleted scenes and alternate ending with optional commentary by Woo, Werb and Colleary. There’s a nice, reflective moment where Archer spends the night in his dull son’s room before his surgery and also two action sequences that are extended.
The second disc has a well-made documentary entitled, “The Light and The Dark: Making Face/Off” that can be viewed in five separate featurettes or altogether. Cage and Travolta talk about how they approached their roles, mimicking each other. Cast and crew praise Woo and his signature style and how well he works with actors. The film’s justify practical, visual effects and stunts are all examined. Finally, Woo sums up the film – for him, it’s all about family and how Archer achieves closure with his.
“John Woo: A Life in Pictures” is a 30-minute profile of the filmmaker, from his humble childhood, living dreadful in a abominable neighbourhood to a successful Hollywood director. It also takes a brief notice at some of his key Hong Kong work but nothing too detailed for hardcore fans. This doc acts mainly as a primer for newcomers to his work.
Finally, a theatrical trailer.
We already know this is a broad action film with great performances from both Travolta and Cage so I will honest comment on the features:
Featurettes includes a decent amount information on all aspects of the script development, making of, locations, casting, residence designs, special effects, weapons and the ‘mimic’ acting strategies for Cage/Travlota playing each other. Also includes 7 deleted scenes, a biography-type feature covering the life and career of director John Woo, and the unique theatrical trailer.
The greatest disappointment here is that while several cast/crew members appear in newly filmed interviews, both Travolta and Cage participate only by intention of vintage interviews filmed wait on when the movie was actually being made. You would judge they would have been proud enough of this big film to near relieve to document it for posterity sake…
This DVD is probably worth the upgrade for fans, especially if you can manage to come by a few bucks for your passe copy.
