September 12: Face/Off

Face/Off

Finally given creative control during his Hollywood sojourn, director John Woo reaches the operatic heights of his Hong Kong masterpieces with this wildly entertaining cat-and-mouse thriller. In order to thwart a terrorist plot and save all of Los Angeles, an FBI agent (John Travolta) undergoes experimental transplant surgery to assume the identity of his sworn enemy. But when the criminal mastermind (Nicolas Cage) wakes up faceless and ready for action, he’ll take over the g-man’s visage to exact his revenge. The outlandish premise meets its perfect foils in Travolta & Cage, who enthusiastically seize their roles, especially when playing each other playing each other, with Woo’s stylized choreography and energetic action perfectly complimenting their performances.