Word was you got wasted

Обновлено: 14.04.2023

«Без лица́» (англ. Face/Off ) — художественный фильм, вышедший в 1997 году. Агент ФБР Шон Арчер арестовывает своего заклятого врага, террориста Кастора Троя, и его брата Поллукса. Но выясняется, что преступники заложили бомбу. Кастор в коме, а Поллукс отказывается выдавать местоположение заряда. Тогда Шону, как человеку лучше всего знающему Кастора, предлагают сделать пластическую операцию — пересадить лицо Троя, чтобы разговорить в тюрьме Поллукса.

Режиссёр: Джон Ву. Сценаристы: Майкл Коллеари и Майкл Уэрб.

Теглайн: «Взгляни на мир глазами своего врага.»

Содержание

Слоганы: «In order to catch him, he must become him.» «To destroy your enemy, you must find him, face him, and then… become him.» «It’s like looking in a mirror — only not» «Only one will survive»

Если бы я тебя не любил, братец, давно бы убил.

If I didn’t love you so damn much, I’d have to kill you, bro.

Я могу есть персик часами.

I can eat a peach for hours.

Бурк Хикс: Говорили, что тебя шлёпнули.
Шон Арчер: Хочешь взглянуть, шестёрка, как выглядит шлёпнутый?

Burke Hicks: Word was you got wasted.
Sean Archer: You wanna see what wasted looks like, little man?

Когда я выйду отсюда, ты будешь уволен. — охраннику тюрьмы

When I get out of here I’m gonna have you fired.

Та бомба, что ты сделал — это шедевр. Она достойна быть в Лувре! — Поллуксу Трою

That bomb you built does deserve an audience. It’s a work of art. It belongs in the Louvre.

Как тут не проснёшься, когда сдирают твоё лицо!

Nothing like having your face cut off to disturb your sleep.

Ну если ты Шон Арчер, то я сам Кастор Трой.

Well, if you’re Sean Archer, I guess I’m Castor Troy.

Дитрих Хасслер: Зря я продал тебе эту бомбу. Это мой бич — не могу отказать другу.
Шон Арчер: И отказаться от монеты.
Дитрих Хасслер: Это мой второй бич.

Dietrich Hassler: You know, I never should’ve sold you those bombs. It’s my curse. I can’t say «no» to a friend.
Sean Archer: You can’t say «no» to money.
Dietrich Hassler: Yeah, that’s my other curse.

Следующая цитата

Чтобы отомстить за жестокое убийство своего сына, агент ФБР Шон Арчер соглашается на сложную хирургическую операцию. Он берет себе новое лицо, лицо террориста Кастора Троя, который находится в коме. Однако происходит непредвиденное: Трой приходит в себя и исчезает в обличьи Арчера. Жизнь Шона превращается в настоящий кошмар — ему приходится сражаться не только за свою жизнь, но и за жизнь своей жены и дочери.

Не люблю, когда ты уходишь, но люблю смотреть на тебя сзади.

Аналогичная цитата:
Добавил Undead 29.12.10

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Разодета, как ведьма. Вот эти черти и лезут тебе в штаны.

Добавила Патриция 07.12.11

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Вранье, недоверие, недомолвки — это уже настоящий брак.

Добавил Vadimec 08.06.16

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Персик, я могу есть персики часами.

Добавила Phantasmal 24.05.10

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Та бомба, что ты сделал — это шедевр. Она достойна быть в Лувре!

Пояснение к цитате:
Добавила Phantasmal 24.05.10

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Взгляни на мир глазами своего врага.

Добавил Побратим Гошан 10.08.17

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— История повторяется.
— Это наше с тобой дело. Оставь их.
— Нет, это тебе надо было всё оставить. Твой сын — просто несчастный случай. Я хотел пристрелить тебя. Но ты все это принял так близко к сердцу. Почему тебе просто не покончить с собой?
— Ты не был отцом.
— Но братом я был.
— А я была сестрой.
— Эй, детка. Саша, какого черта ты тут делаешь?
— Да, Арчер. Я без приглашения. Милый, ты в порядке?
— Да, спасибо.
— Саша, детка. Я Кастор, а это рядом с тобой Арчер.
— А я так и подумала Арчер. Не смешно. Может, вы все опустите свои пушки?
— Опустить чертову пушку? Пушки, пушки, пушки. Виу, бах — бах и мы все трупы.

Пояснение к цитате:

В церкви бандиты, пришедшие с Арчером (Кастором) встретились людьми Кастора (Шона). К мести наставления друг на друга пистолетов присоединилась Саша, сестра убитого друга Кастора, защищая отца своего сына Кастора, не зная, что под его лицом прячется Шон.

Следующая цитата

— Ну, как всегда. Меня чуть не изнасиловали, и я же и виновата?
— Нет, не ты. Ты не была такой до смерти Майка. Прячешься за чужим лицом. Думаешь, так не будет больно. А пока скажи у тебя есть защита?
— Ты имеешь в виду резинку, презик?
— Защита. [Кастор делает движение кистью и в ней заметен открытый нож — бабочка] Вот твоя защита. В другой раз когда Лекс спустит штаны, воткни ему в бедро и поверни, чтобы рана не закрылась. Теперь бери его и проваливай отсюда.

Следующая цитата

Семь или восемь? Не в граммах, а в полицейских. Именно этим вопросом задается лондонский маньяк, решивший прославиться.

Выбрав себе для первых полос таблоидов звучный псевдоним Блиц и вооружившись молотком, Барри Вайс выходит на улицы. И теперь главному герою придется спасать свою шкуру и пытаться остановить сумасшедшего убийцу…

Сочный стейк — самый лучший овощ!

Добавил Robert Read 02.07.11

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Не верьте тому, что пишут в газетах.

Добавила Патриция 17.08.11

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Хочу адвоката. И сэндвич. А еще хочу обновить статус на «Фейсбуке».

Добавила Патриция 18.08.11

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И вот вы идёте по улице. Вам навстречу три подростка с ножами для ковров наперевес. Им нужен ваш кошелёк, ну и может быть, ещё золотые часы, врученные за раскрываемость. А один из них предлагает вырезать своё имя у вас на лице. И что лучше — вообще без лица, или что о нём напишут в газетах?

Добавил Robert Read 02.07.11

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Я тебя уважаю, а для меня это редкость.

Добавила VesperZ 14.08.11

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Лезете в неравную драку — хотя бы выбирайте оружие.

Добавила VesperZ 14.08.11

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— У японцев даже есть слово для такой убогой обстановки.
— Минимализм.
— Я хотел сказать «помойка».

Добавила asi 09.04.16

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Добавила asi 09.04.16

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— Двойной виски.
— В другой раз, брат. Мы закрыты.
— Слушай сюда, повторять не буду. Я тебе не брат. Когда я прошу выпить, говори: «Лед добавить?» Теперь давай сначала. Двойной виски.
— Вам лед добавить?
— Ой, не смеши меня, какой лед?
— С вас пять фунтов, сэр.
— Ты же сказал, вы закрыты?

Добавила asi 09.04.16

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— Это был приятный вечер.
— Да.
— Я позвоню.
— Когда? Когда ты мне позвонишь?
— Завтра.
— А ты подумай. Может быть, летом? Пойдем на пикник. Я же знаю, как это бывает. Он обещал позвонить, и она ждет, надеется, не отходит от мобильного. А он думает: «А! Позвоню завтра, в воскресенье, в понедельник, не важно». Но вот в чем штука. Это важно. Очень важно.
— Завтра, я позвоню завтра.
— Да пошел ты!

Добавила asi 09.04.16

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— Ну давай, опиши мне того парня.
— А ты записывать не будешь?
— Я те ща запишу!

Пояснение к цитате:

полицейский ведет допрос свидетеля

Добавила asi 09.04.16

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— Ты знаешь, что мне надо. Говори.
— Нет уж. Деньги вперед.
— Что тебе нужно?
— Серьезные бабки.
— Серьезные бабки? Что, типа выходное пособие?
— Ага.
— Думаешь, ты, сука, умный? Мозги у тебя цыплячьи, понял? Ну вот, и какой ты в жопу ирландец, Рэднер? Вот я, я настоящий кельт. Совсем непредсказуемый. А ведь это ирландцы придумали стрелять по коленям. Страшная штука. На ноги тебя поставят, но хромать будешь всегда. И будешь ты зваться — «хромой Рэднер». Вот тебе мое выходное пособие.

Следующая цитата

«Не бойся, я с тобой!» (азерб. Горхма, мән сәнинләјәм, Qorxma, mən səninləyəm) — советский двухсерийный приключенческий музыкальный комедийный телефильм Юлия Гусмана, вышедший в 1981 году.

Один удар ногой в челюсть, и его унесли бы на носилках!

Друг мой, зачем ты бьёшь лошадей? Может быть, в своей прошлой жизни они были достойными и уважаемыми людьми. Ты слыхал о переселении душ?

У Нагиева есть, у Тагиева есть, у Нобеля есть, у Ротшильда есть, только у меня нет.

Лейли была без усов.

Бек, ты человек просвещенный и знаешь, конечно, что такое театр. Можно играть женщин и оставаться при этом настоящим мужчиной, а можно отрастить вот такие усы и быть трусливой бабой!

Так этот несчастный ещё и старик?!

Это пришла твоя смерть!

Ты потерял хватку, Рустам. Надо было сразу сломать ему руку или коленную чашечку. А ты возился, возился… Зачем так долго мучить человека?

Не хочу жениться! Не хочу!

Некрасиво говоришь «не хочу жениться». Будет у тебя жена, будешь ее обнимать, будешь целовать. Небесная радость!

— А будет у тебя жена: хочешь — бей, хочешь — по полу за косы таскай.
— О, хочу жениться!

Разве я зверь? Зверь выдавал бы тебя замуж за дурачка Мардана и смеялся, а я плАчу вместе с тобой.

Как говорят у нас в Индии, умный не спрашивает. Умный сам постигает сущность вещей.

Надоедливый: тебя учит, меня учит. А сам-то что-нибудь умеет?

Молодец. Не знаю, откуда взялся этот мексиканец, но молодец.

Туда ехали, за ними гнались. Оттуда едут, за ними гонятся. Какая интересная у людей жизнь!

— У тебя невесту украли!
— Украли!? Кому такое счастье надо? Попросил бы у меня бы, я и так отдал бы… Или на что-нибудь сменял бы.

— Зачем ты меня вызвал? Я имею дело с богатыми людьми! — Знаю-знаю, и делаешь их бедными>>

Я брал бы и бумажные, да никто не даёт

А как звали их при жизни?

— Когда он поёт, сердце тает, как кусок сахара. Это талант, великий талант! И ты хочешь, чтобы я его убил? За триста рублей?!
— А за сколько?
— Пятьсот.
— Все меня грабят. Почему ты должен меня жалеть?

— Это мой зуб.
— Слыхали, какой глупый? Он не твой, даже не мой, понял? Он ихний!

Я думал, ты хороший мужик, оказывается, ты плохой мужик, жадный…

Ты что, безумный, смерти ищешь?

— Дяденька, а вы можете голой рукой стенку пробить?
— Могу. Даже одним пальцем.

Птичка моя, я же обещал носить тебя всю жизнь на руках… Не надо было болтать языком…

Клянусь жизнью моей жены-покойницы!

— Вы меня извините, но денег у этого субъекта я не возьму.
— Делает Вам честь. Но бурить-то Вы обязаны.
— Бурить буду.
— А денег не возьмёте?
— Денег не возьму.
— Я вижу, Вы порядочный человек. В таком случае идите и работайте даром.

. Сделайте мне подарок, возьмите у меня эту пару вороных

Если б ты знал, сколько у меня грехов! Одним больше, одним меньше — ни я не замечу, ни Аллах!

Вот с таким врагом приятно иметь дело — храбрый, ловкий и глупый.

— Но гарантий я Вам дать не могу…
— И не надо! Не надо! Гарантии оставь себе, а мне дай нефть.

Эй, слушайте! Вы мне надоели. Думаете, я буду торчать здесь до конца своих дней? Выходите и сдавайтесь! Ну что вы там? Выходите!

Голос хороший, а слова плохие.

Как он поет! Ах, как он поет. Он душу из меня вынимает. Ещё немножко — и я не смогу его убить.

Их человек тридцать, и все они безоружны! Не бойтесь, дети мои.

Тебе не стыдно? Стоило мне отлучиться на неделю, как ты уже попал в такую историю!

Расставаться надо так, как будто завтра встретимся, а встречаться как будто не виделись сто лет.

— Ничего, отобьёмся!
— Конечно отобьёмся. Только прошу тебя, Сан Саныч, никого не убей.

Здравствуйте, друзья! Желаю всем вам спокойствия духа и кротости сердца. Мудрец чувствует себя свободным и в тюрьме.

Пусть жена лица подробности
Прячет под чадрой (от скромности)…

Он хочет переспорить пистолет.
Такой большой, а как дитя — интеллигент!

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Face/Off is a 1997 film about a revolutionary medical technique that allows an undercover agent to take the physical appearance of a major criminal and infiltrate his organization.

Directed by John Woo. Written by Mike Werb and Michael Colleary.

It’s like looking in a mirror — only not taglines

Dialogue[edit]

Sean Archer: Any word from the LAPD intelligence? If there IS such a thing?

Loomis: Not yet, sir.

Sean Archer: Of course not, because we’re a covert anti-terrorist team that is so secret, that when we snap our fingers nothing happens!

---

[Archer and Castor are in a Mexican standoff in the hangar]

Sean Archer: [jams his pistol into Castor’s neck] Give up, Castor! Your time’s up! [beat]

Castor Troy: [laughs as his pistol is jammed into Archer’s neck] Well, you better hit me, Sean, ’cause you got only one bullet left!

Sean Archer: So do you. [Troy stands up and the two point pistols at each other’s heads]

Castor Troy: Wow! We’ve got something in common! We both know our guns.

Sean Archer: What we don’t have in common is that I don’t care if I live, and you do.

Castor Troy: Sean, that hurts. You’re not having any fun, are you, Sean? Why don’t you come with us? Try terrorism-for-hire. We’ll blow some shit up! It’s more fun!

Sean Archer: Shut the fuck up!

Castor Troy: You watch your fucking mouth! I’m about to unleash the biblical plague «Hell-A» deserves! But I’ll give this shithole a break if my brother and I walk.

Sean Archer: Bullshit.

Castor Troy: Oh-oh, oh, I-I see, I see. Y-You think I’m bluffing. Maybe I am. But then, maybe, I am not. More importantly, what would you do with me locked up? You’d drive your wife and kid crazy! Say, how is your daughter, anyway? Your… your darling Janie? Your little peach? Is she ripe? Ri-ripe-r…I’M READY!! [pulls the trigger but there is no bullet. Castor drops his gun]

---

[Archer sits down to interrogate Sasha]

Sean Archer: Hello, Sasha. When was the last time you saw Castor Troy?

Sasha Hassler: Who cares? He’s dead.

Sean Archer: Answer the question.

Sasha Hassler: I know my rights. I don’t have to answer shit.

Sean Archer: You’re right. But know this: you’re a convicted felon, on probation for harboring Castor Troy. One phone call from me and your son will end up in a foster home. [beat]

Sasha Hassler: [takes a deep breath] I understand why you would use such a threat. But you try to take him away from me, I swear to you….I haven’t seen him for years.

[Archer looks at her for a moment. He then gets up and goes to another interrogation room where Dietrich is sitting]

Sean Archer: This reeks of you. It’s got your signature all over it. [Dietrich gives a hard look at Archer]

Dietrich Hassler: Maybe. But you ain’t got nothing on me, and you know it.

Sean Archer: Maybe so. But I can keep you within city limits, or I can talk to your sister again. She’s right outside. [Archer backs away from Dietrich] Only this time, I’ll be nice. [He walks around the table Dietrich is sitting at]

Dietrich Hassler: Hey, Sean, how’s your dead son?

[Dietrich breaks out laughing. Archer suddenly pushes him to the floor by the neck and jams his pistol into Dietrich’s eye]

Dietrich Hassler: I don’t know anything! Okay! Okay, I heard something about the 18th, but that’s all I know! [Archer puts his pistol away]

---

Tito Blondi: Great, so we’ve got a date. Now where the hell’s the damn bomb?

Sean Archer: Only Pollux Troy will know that.

Hollis Miller: It’s your call, Sean.

Sean Archer: Does Lazarro know your plan?

Hollis Miller: No, this is a black bag operation. Strictly off the books. You can’t tell Lazarro, and you can’t tell your wife.

Sean Archer: [rubs his cheeks] Oh, god. What are you asking me to do? Okay, let’s see. You’re asking me to break the law, risk my neck, and you’re asking me to put in the dark all the people that’re above me and trust me. [He takes a deep breath] I’ll do it.

---

[Archer has entered Erewhon posing as Castor]

Burke Hicks: What’s the matter, pal? Dontcha remember the little people? [Archer turns and recognizes him]

Sean Archer: Burke Hicks.

Burke Hicks: Yes.

Sean Archer: I bust… [catches himself] I believe Sean Archer busted you for stalking the UN Secretary General.

Burke Hicks: Oh, no, Archer framed me. I had nothing to do with that. Word was you got wasted. [beat]

Sean Archer: You want to see what «wasted» looks like, little man?

---

[Archer-as-Castor has gotten into a fight with Dubov]

Walton: I stop the fights. Not you.

Sean Archer: When I get out of here —

Walton: If you get out of here.

Sean Archer: I’m gonna have you fired.

---

[Archer, with Castor’s face, sits down with Pollux]

Pollux Troy: Not feeling very coordinated lately, are you?

Sean Archer: [with a low voice] Listen, bro. I am soooo fried. If the psychos find out I’m this wacky we’re both dead meat.

Pollux Troy: Shock treatment? What’s the matter, did they operate? [Pollux touches Archer’s face]

Sean Archer: I was in a coma! Jesus, you’re still so frickin’ paranoid! Aren’t they giving you your medication in here?

Pollux Troy: What was my medication?

Sean Archer: [sighing in «exasperation»] Pollux, I hand-fed you those pills for years. Vivex! I haven’t forgotten that. It’s just everything else. My reflexes, my synapses, it’s all like a… tab of bad Quantrax. I don’t even know why that fucking Yeti jumped me the other day.

Pollux Troy: Dubov? You had a sex sandwich with his wife and his sister the night he was sent here.

Sean Archer: Well, that explains why he was so upset. We’re gonna blow up L.A., bro. Ain’t that cool?

Pollux Troy: Sure, rub my nose in it, why don’t you. Ten million dollar design and those militia nut jobs get to keep their cash.

Sean Archer:’ It’s so fucking unfair! That bomb you built does deserve an audience. I mean, it’s a work of art, it belongs in the Louvre.

Pollux Troy: Yes, it does. Oh, well. I guess the L.A. Convention Center will just have to do.

Sean Archer: [rejoices to himself] Thank you.

Pollux Troy: For what?

Sean Archer: You are so fuckin’ pathetic.

---

[Archer is posing as Castor at Erwhon when a guard opens his cell door]

Guard: You’ve got a visitor.

[Cut to Archer entering the visitor’s room. The magnetic boots clamp into place. A door then opens, revealing Castor Troy with Archer’s old face. As they exchange looks, Castor smirks. He then cocks his head, walks across the room, and eventually breaks into a wide grin]

Castor Troy: Oooooo-WEE, you’re good lookin’! Ya hot!

[Castor steps towards Archer]

Castor Troy: It’s like looking in a mirror, only not. [Castor walks around Archer]

Sean Archer: Troy?

Castor Troy: Now that is between us. OK?

Sean Archer: But you were—were, were, in—in—in-

Castor Troy: In a coma?

Sean Archer: —in-in-in-

Castor Troy: Nothing like having your face cut off to disturb your sleep! Read the newspaper lately? [thrusts an article in Archer’s face headlined «Deadly Inferno at Walsh Institute», with Dr. Walsh’s picture]

Sean Archer: You killed them?

Castor Troy: Yeah well. Beats paying the bill, huh? I mean, come on, uh, if a face lift costs five grand…[shows Archer’s wedding ring on his hand] SEE ANYTHING YOU LIKE!!??? [In his mind, Archer pictures Tito, bound and gagged alongside Miller and Dr. Walsh, being doused with gasoline]

Sean Archer: Tito! [In a flashback, Castor drops his cigarette lighter into a puddle of gasoline, sparking a large inferno]

Castor Troy: I torched all the evidence that proves you’re you, okay? So, wow! [looks at watch] Looks like you’re going to be in here for THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS!! Now, I have got to go. I’ve got a government job to abuse and [whispers into Archer’s ear] a lonely wife to fuck. Oh, I’m sorry…make love to! God, I miss that face! [He licks the side of Archer’s face. Archer promptly grabs Castor by the neck, throws him to the floor, and attempts to strangle him]

---

[Castor drives into Archer’s neighborhood and glances at the various houses as he drives by]

Castor Troy: Look at this place. I’m in hell! I may never do a hard on again.

[Eve is just coming down the front steps when Castor drives past the house. He recognizes her a moment too late and slams on the brakes]

Castor Troy: Oh, yes. Here we go.

[He speedily backs the car up to the curb. As he gets out, he pulls down his sunglasses and smirks at Eve]

Dr. Eve Archer: Well I suppose it was only a matter of time before you forgot where we lived.

Castor Troy: Come on, give me a break. Every house on this block looks the same. [walks around Eve] The nice part of you….Eve. My one and only Eve.

Dr. Eve Archer: So how was your vital assignment?

Castor Troy: Which one was that?

Dr. Eve Archer: [scoffs] How should I know, Sean? [beat]

Castor Troy: Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh, yes! The uh, the out-of-body experience, yes. That one.

---

[Castor finds Eve’s diary in her desk drawer. He flips it open to a recent entry]

Castor Troy: «Date night. Fizzled again. We haven’t made love in two months.» What a loser. [He ponders, but suddenly hears «Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag» playing. Cut to Jamie in her bedroom chatting on the phone with her boyfriend in just her panties and t-shirt as the music plays on her stereo]

Jamie Archer: I got your email, Karl. The poem you sent me was pretty kinky. [Castor slowly pushes the door open]

Castor Troy: [inhales] The plot thickens… [Jamie looks up and glares at Castor]

Jamie Archer: [on the phone] Hang on a second. [She attempts to slam the door in Castor’s face. Castor steps forward and keeps it from closing] I’ll have to call you back. [hangs up] You’re not respecting my boundaries.

Castor Troy: I’m coming in, Janie.

Jamie Archer: Janie? [Castor glances at Jamie’s bed pillow, with her name stitched on it]

Castor Troy: I don’t think you heard me, Jamie. You got something I crave. [Castor presses himself up against Jamie as he reaches around her to grab her cigarettes]

Jamie Archer: Clarissa left those here.

Castor Troy: Oh, well I won’t tell mom if you don’t. [He lights a cigarette]

Jamie Archer: When did you start smoking?

Castor Troy: You’ll be seeing a lot of changes around here. [blows smoke rings in Jamie’s face] Papa’s got a brand new bag! OW! [Jamie laughs. Castor slowly walks out of the room singing along to the music]

---

[Castor walks into the FBI observation room as Wanda and Buzz watch Pollux eating a gourmet meal, singing opera, and waving his utensils like a conductor]

Buzz: Sir, we just wanted you to know….

Wanda: We’re all really sorry about Tito.

Castor Troy: [sips his coffee] Oh, hey, shit happens, you know. So is our star witness talking?

Buzz: Yeah, about what kind of mustard he likes on his tongue sandwiches.

Wanda: That bomb is out there. We’re almost out of time.

Castor Troy: [bites his lip] Hmmm…. [A door flies open and Lazarro comes into the room]

Victor Lazarro: Archer! [Castor turns to Lazarro] You made a deal with Pollux Troy. That isn’t like you.

Castor Troy: Well, when all else fails, fresh tactics! [winks at Lazarro]

Victor Lazarro: Fresh? Let me tell you my fresh tactic: from now on, everything to do with this case goes through me, you understood?

Castor Troy: Hmmm.

Victor Lazarro: Good! Thanks.

[Lazarro leaves the office. Castor switches off the interrogation room video camera. Pollux rises as Castor comes in, chuckling]

Castor Troy: [turns off the recorder] You’re supposed to be snitching and making me look good!

Pollux Troy: Look good?

Castor Troy: Mmm-hmm. [Castor sits down on the edge of the table]

Pollux Troy: Seeing that face on you makes me afraid my tiramisu might come back up.

Castor Troy: Well think about me. This nose. This hair. This ridiculous chin. [sighs] Brother, we’re going straight.

Pollux Troy: Ooh, my goodness. Did you exchange brains as well?

Castor Troy: The first thing I need you to «confess» to is the location of the bomb.

Pollux Troy: What about our $10 million?

Castor Troy: What about «when I become an American hero for defusing the bomb?» What’s that worth? Know that, thank you! Next question!

[The two laugh. Castor grins and wags a finger in Pollux’s face]

Castor Troy: You’re not the only one in the family with the brains.

Pollux Troy: No. Although now I am the only one with the looks.

Castor Troy: Touché.

---

[Castor-as-Archer has just returned to the office after being taken to the grave of Archer’s son that he killed years ago]

Wanda: You turned your beeper off.

Castor Troy: Well, it’s my son’s birthday.

Wanda: Well, here’s some poetic justice, sir: Castor Troy is dead.

Buzz: He got killed while trying to escape Erewhon. [Castor turns to them]

Castor Troy: Where’s his body? I wanna see his body.

Wanda: It hasn’t been recovered yet.

Castor Troy: [explodes] «It hasn’t been recovered yet»?! [beat] Get the LAPD on this!

Wanda: Even if he is alive, Castor isn’t stupid enough to come back to this city!

Castor Troy: You-you must trust me. He’s already here.

---

[Archer as Castor and Dietrich with his gang discuss their plans and drink alcohol with some drugs]

Aldo: So, once we kidnap supercop, then what? [beat]

Sean Archer: Tiny… surgery. l’d like to take his- his face- off. [Makes a gesture like taking off his own face] Yes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, l have to use the little boys wee-wee room.

Dietrich: Cas. You wanna take his face—

Sean Archer: Yes. His face — off! [Makes manipulations with his fingers at Dietrich’s face] Eyes. Nose. Skin. lt’s coming — off. [Pretends taking off his own face again]

Dietrich: [Reflectively makes a similar gesture] The face… off. [Archer collapses on a bed in another room] No more drugs for that man.

---

[Castor-as-Archer stops Jamie’s boyfriend from attempting to rape her and his him pinned against his car]

Castor Troy: OK, say you’re sorry!

Karl: I’m sorry!

Castor Troy: I didn’t hear it!

Karl: I’m sorry!

Castor Troy: Mean it!

Karl: I’m so sorry!

[Castor throws Karl onto the pavement]

---

[Castor has just rescued Jamie from an attempted rape]

Castor Troy: Dress up like Halloween, and ghouls will try and get in your pants.

Jamie Archer: Typical, Dad. Some guy tries to rape me and I’m to blame? [Castor hands Jamie a cigarette. She accepts and lights one]

Castor Troy: [sits down in a chair] This isn’t you. You haven’t been the same since Mike died. Hiding behind someone else’s face. Hoping you wouldn’t feel the pain. While we’re talking, do you have protection?

Jamie Archer: Protection? You mean like a condom? [Castor pulls a butterfly knife from his pants pocket]

Castor Troy: Protection. Next time, let Karl take his pants down, slip this in his thigh, twist it, so the wound won’t close. Go on. Get out of here. [Jamie leaves; Castor reclines in his chair] I am the king.

---

[Castor and Archer are divided by a glass wall and have their guns drawn]

Castor Troy: [sighs] I don’t know what I hate wearing worse: your face or your body. I mean, I certainly do enjoy boning your wife, but let’s face it, we both like it better the other way, yes? So why don’t we just trade back?

Sean Archer: You can’t give back what you’ve taken from me.

Castor Troy: Oh, well… Plan B: Lets just kill each other.

---

[Castor sits down in his office to sulk. Seconds later, Lazarro comes in]

Victor Lazarro: Sean? Look, we’re friends. So I’m going to tell you face-to-face. I don’t give a damn if you are TIME’s Man of the Year. After last night’s bloodbath, I am terminating your war on terrorists. [Castor’s eyes flash with rage]

Castor Troy: Is that because I’m getting all the kudos, and you’re not?

Victor Lazarro: Yes, well. I don’t know where you’re getting your intelligence. It’s not from a field agent. Obviously you know too much. Washington’s starting to worry. Justice wants a hearing. They’re concerned about the constitutionality of your gestapo tactics and frankly, so am I! [He clutches his chest, feeling palpitations. Castor takes notice of this]

Castor Troy: OK, Victor, I’ll, uh, give the taxpayers a break. [puts his hand on Lazarro’s shoulder] But I’ve got something I’d like to confess. I don’t think you’re going to like it. [puts his mouth on Lazarro’s ear] I am Castor Troy… [He throws Lazarro to the floor and punches him in the chest hard enough to stop his heart completely. Castor collects himself and picks up his desk phone]

Castor Troy: Timmy? Kim?

Kim: Yes?

Castor Troy: Call paramedics. Victor Lazarro’s had a heart attack.

Kim: I’ll come right away.

Castor Troy: Thank you.

---

[Castor-as-Archer, and Archer-as-Castor, are in a Mexican standoff in the church]

Sean Archer: This is between us. Leave them out of it.

Castor Troy: No. You should have left them out of it. Your son was an accident. I wanted to kill you. But, you took it so personally. Why couldn’t you just kill yourself or let it go?

Sean Archer: No father could.

Castor Troy: No brother could either.

Sasha Hassler: [coming in] Neither could a sister. Hey baby. [give a spare gun to Archer as Castor]

Castor Troy: [annoyed] Sasha, what the fuck are you doing here?

Sasha Hassler: Gee, Archer, I’m crashing the party. You okay, baby?

Sean Archer: Yea. I’m fine. Thanks.

Castor Troy: Sasha… baby, I’m Castor. That’s Archer.

Sasha Hassler: [disbelieving Castor when he tells her his real identity and still believes him as the real Archer] And I’m bored. Put the fucking gun down.

Henchman #2: (coming behind Sasha) Why don’t you put your guns down?

---

[Jamie points a gun at Castor-as-Archer and Archer-as-Castor]

Castor Troy: Ah, good girl, Jamie! Shoot him!

Sean Archer: Honey, don’t listen to him, honey! He’s not your father! Hear my voice! I’m your father!

Castor Troy: Use your eyes, Jamie! Shoot him!

Sean Archer: Don’t shoot, don’t shoot! Just, just…

Castor Troy: This scumbag… this scumbag shot your brother, Jamie! Kill him!

[Jamie shoots Archer in the shoulder]

Taglines[edit]

• In order to catch him, he must become him.
• To destroy your enemy, you must find him, face him, and then… become him.
• It’s like looking in a mirror — only not.
• Only one will survive.

Cast[edit]

• John Travolta – Sean Archer/Castor Troy
• Nicolas Cage – Castor Troy/Sean Archer
• Joan Allen – Dr. Eve Archer
• Alessandro Nivola – Pollux Troy
• Gina Gershon – Sasha Hassler
• Dominique Swain – Jamie Archer

External links[edit]

• Face/Off quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Face/Off at Rotten Tomatoes

— История повторяется.

— Это наше с тобой дело. Оставь их.

— Нет, это тебе надо было всё оставить. Твой сын — просто несчастный случай. Я хотел пристрелить тебя. Но ты все это принял так близко к сердцу. Почему тебе просто не покончить с собой?

— Ты не был отцом.

— Но братом я был.

— А я была сестрой.

— Эй, детка. Саша, какого черта ты тут делаешь?

— Да, Арчер. Я без приглашения. Милый, ты в порядке?

— Да, спасибо.

— Саша, детка. Я Кастор, а это рядом с тобой Арчер.

— А я так и подумала Арчер… Не смешно. Может, вы все опустите свои пушки?

— Опустить чертову пушку? Пушки, пушки, пушки… Виу, бах — бах и мы все трупы.

Чтобы отомстить за жестокое убийство своего сына, агент ФБР Шон Арчер соглашается на сложную хирургическую операцию. Он берет себе новое лицо, лицо террориста Кастора Троя, который находится в коме. Однако происходит непредвиденное: Трой приходит в себя и исчезает в обличьи Арчера. Жизнь Шона превращается в настоящий кошмар — ему приходится сражаться не только за свою жизнь, но и за жизнь своей жены и дочери.

-Have you eaten anything?
-No.

What is this, a picnic?
Let’s go! We got 1 0 minutes to go!

-Punch me out.
-You got it.

Any word from the LAPD lntelligence?

lf there is such a thing.

Not yet, sir.

Of course not.

Because we’re a covert
antiterrorism team

that is so secret
that when we snap our fingers

nothin’ happens!

Sheriff’s department, airport police…

Still waiting,
but lnterpol insists he’s in Tripoli.

Yeah, well,
you trust that billion-dollar satellite!

l’ll trust a $1 0 snitch at this point.

-Sean, look…
-What?

Why don’t you give ’em
a little break, okay?

We’ll take a break
when the case breaks, okay?

You know, l never really enjoyed
the Messiah.

ln fact, l think it’s fucking boring.

But your voice
makes even a hack like Handel

seem like a genius.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Victor, when we…
When we put this thing to bed,

you can brand the Fourth Amendment
on my butt!

Thank you.

Sir, excuse me. Your wife is on line one.

Sean!

A jet was just charted.
Anderson Airfield.

Guess who paid the bill in cash.
Pollux Troy!

-Put one of our people on that plane.
-Wait, we still got no sign of Castor!

Pollux doesn’t fly without big brother!
Now, come on!

You’re 26 minutes late.
The casing didn’t fit, right?

See, l told you goddamn
Dietrich would try to pawn off

some cheap shit North Korean plastic.

Casing fit like a condom.

You didn’t deviate from the plan,
did you, Pollux?

How long you want me to sit here
twiddling my thumbs?

l paid for the jet… Save us some time.

That’s what the boys are for,
to hide our famous faces.

lf l didn’t love you so damn much,
l’d have to kill you, Bro.

l hate it when you call me, «Bro.»

You guys are paid to protect him
from everybody, including himself.

And stay away from downtown
on the 1 8th, it’s gonna be a little

smoggy.

Okay, my passengers are here.
l gotta go.

Let’s go. Let’s go. l’m bored. Let’s go.

-Here you go.
-Bravo.

Would you like anything else
once we’re airborne?

Oh, a peach.

Sit. Come here.

You know, l can eat a peach for hours.

Come here.

lf l were to send you flowers,
where would l…

No, wait. Let me rephrase.

lf l were to let you suck my tongue,

would you be grateful?

There’s someone on the runway.

Get off of me!

Archer!

FBl!

This is a very big gun.
Fly the fucking plane.

Come on. That’s it.

Come on, let’s go!

Damn it! Don’t play chicken
with a goddamn jet!

Come on!

He’s got Winters! God damn it!

Damn it, Sean!

All units, pin ’em in!

Close in on ’em!

One of yours, Sean?

Shit!

Out! Come on! Let’s go! Go!

God damn it, Sean!

Take off now!

-Fly!
-l can’t!

Fly, bitch!

All units, locked and ready!
Follow Archer’s lead!

What the fuck are you doing?

There’s an engine out. We gotta stop.

Move it, move it, move it!

Pollux!

Cas!

Secure the hangar!

Berkley, down!

Down!

Give up, Castor! Your time’s up!

Well, you better hit me, Sean,
’cause you only got one bullet left.

So do you.

Wow!

We’ve got somethin’ in common!

We both know our guns.

What we don’t have in common

is that l don’t care if l live, and you do.

Sean, that hurts.

You’re not havin’ any fun,
are you, Sean?

Why don’t you come with us?

Try terrorism for hire.
We’ll blow some shit up. lt’s more fun!

-Shut the fuck up.
-You watch your fucking mouth!

l’m about to unleash
the biblical plague «Hell-A» deserves.

But l’ll give this shithole a break
if my brother and l walk.

-Bullshit.
-Oh, no, l see, you think l’m bluffing.

Maybe l am. But then, maybe l’m not.

More importantly, what would you do
with me locked up?

You’d drive your wife and kid crazy.

Say, how is your daughter anyway?
ls she ripening by now?

Your darling Janie,
your little peach, is she ripe?

l’m ready!

Okay.

Please, man, don’t shoot me.

l’m scared, Seany.

Well, l think you better pull the trigger.

Because l don’t give a fuck.

I’m ready

Ready for the big ride, baby

Well, Sean,
looks like Elvis done left the building.

lt wasn’t my fault!
Why won’t you ever be on my side?

l am always on your side,
but you have to give me a chance.

Now what?

She was suspended again.

Some kid made a crack
about her clothes.

She started a fight.

That’s right, Dad.
Don’t even ask me what happened.

Okay, what happened?

l see.

Not like you would believe me anyway.

Jamie, look, it’s not easy, okay.

l mean…

You change the way you look
every week.

And the way you act…
Who are you supposed to be now?

l’m supposed to be me.

Not like you have a clue
who l am anyway!

l have to work tonight.

l called to tell you,
but l was on hold for 1 0 minutes,

and l couldn’t wait any longer.

l got him, Eve.

lt’s over.

Oh, Sean!

l’ll make it up to you and Jamie,
l promise.

l’ll put in for a desk job,
l’ll do counseling,

sit down, talk about Mike, l’ll do it.
Anything you want.

l just want you.

Well, good,
’cause that’s what you’re gonna get.

You happy?

Yes. Yeah!

Oh, thank God!

Hold on.

What is all this?

Sir, the ClA sent this over.

l didn’t know they catered. Send it back.

No, wait.

How about…

What about to Anderson,
Montgomery, Berkley,

Pincus, Gianelli,

Winters.

How’s Loomis?

He’s gonna need a little surgery, but…

He’ll be okay.

-What’s up?
-Special Ops. They want a word.

Forget it. l don’t have the time.

Better make time, Sean.

Recovered from the jet wreckage.
Found in Pollux Troy’s briefcase.

Porcelain casing,

thermal cloak,

nerve gas and biological payload.

lt’s enough to flatten a square mile,

and then,
depending on the prevailing winds,

the fallout will be a tad worse
than Gulf War Syndrome.

A biblical… A biblical plague that L.A…

Where is he? Where is Pollux Troy?

Why draw the schematic
if you’re not gonna build the bomb?

Is it a crime in this country
to exercise the mind?

l’m interested in…

l won’t say another word
until l see my brother.

Any progress?

l need about 1 0 minutes alone
with this guy.

Give it a rest. You got Castor.
Just go home.

Look, we’re not gonna evacuate the city
on your hunch!

l know Castor too well
for this to be a hunch!

You know what?

Just run the goddamn Bureau
any way you like!

l could put an agent in his cell.
Maybe Pollux will let it slip.

Oh, come on.
He’s a paranoid sociopath.

The only person he’d talk to
about that bomb

is his brother, and he’s dead.

There is one other possibility.

Oh, God!

You’re keeping him alive!

Relax, Archer. He’s a turnip.

What if you could walk
into Erewhon prison

and give Pollux a nice, big-brotherly hug

as Castor Troy?

l have no idea what you’re talking about.

Let me try.

Malcolm Walsh.

-l run the biocover unit for special ops.
-l know who you are.

But you don’t know what l can do.

Physical alteration, augmentation…

Dr. Walsh can alter
the likeness, even the voice,

of a government witness.

l think you’ll recognize this patient.

We had to build your friend Loomis
a whole new ear from scratch.

What we’re suggesting for you, Archer,
isn’t a permanent transplant like that,

just a temporary trade.

Come here.

With the new anti-inflammatories,
healing takes days, not weeks.

Your blood types won’t match,
but Pollux won’t know that.

Height difference is negligible.

Skin pigment, eye pigment,
both almost identical.

We’ll use laser shears for the hairline,
microplugs for body hair.

We’ll do an abdominoplasty,
take care of those love handles.

But all that’s the easy part.

Here’s the real science.

This is a state-of-the-art
morphogenetic template.

The inside is modeled on your skull,

the outside exactly like Troy’s.

Then we fit his face on top.
Not a replica, but the real thing.

Then we simply connect the muscles,
tear ducts and nerve endings.

So, you want to take his face
and mine…

Borrow!

The procedure’s completely reversible.

You think that l want to do this?

No. No!

-There’s no one else!
-No!

You have lived and breathed
Castor Troy for years.

l’ll get his gang to talk. That’s what l do!

What if you can’t? The bomb will blow,
and Castor Troy will win.

Get out! Go ahead!

And wipe your ass.

Damn! What the hell is that smell?

-He shit in his pants.
-Where’s Dietrich?

Hello, Sasha.

When was the last time
you saw Castor Troy?

-Who cares? He’s dead.
-Answer the question.

l know my rights.
l don’t have to answer shit.

You’re right, but know this.
You’re a convicted felon

on probation for harboring Castor Troy.

One phone call from me and
your son will end up in a foster home.

l understand why you would use
such a threat.

But you try to take him away from me,
l swear to you…

l haven’t seen him for years.

This reeks of you.
lt’s got your signature all over it.

Maybe.

But you ain’t got nothin’ on me,
and you know it.

Maybe so,
but l can keep you within city limits,

or l can talk to your sister again.
She’s right outside.

Only this time, l’ll be nice.

Hey, Sean,

how’s your dead son?

l don’t know…

Okay, okay,
l heard somethin’ about the 1 8th!

But that’s all l know.

Great. So we got a date,
but where the hell’s the damn bomb?

Only Pollux Troy will know that.

lt’s your call, Sean.

Does Lazarro know your plan?

No, this is a black-bag operation,
strictly off the books.

You can’t tell Lazarro,
and you can’t tell your wife.

Oh, God.

What are you asking me to do?

Okay, let’s see… You’re asking me

to break the law, risk my neck…

And you’re asking me
to put in the dark all the people

that love me and trust me.

l’ll do it.

Sean.

l’m sorry l woke you.

Oh, l’m glad it’s you that woke me

and not a phone call
telling me you won’t be coming home.

But that’s a fear
l can finally let go of, huh?

Oh, it’s all right, Sean. lt’s okay.

l keep…

l keep wanting to move this over here,
you know?

lf it had only been an inch to the left,

Mikey would be alive.

And you wouldn’t be.

Sean, things are gonna get better
now that you’re home.

The scar won’t move,
but it will heal if you let it.

Everything will be better
now that this is forever out of our lives.

Eve, if l told you that l realized
that this thing won’t fully end

until l did one last thing…

Eve, something vital.

You’re going back on assignment again.

Just one last time.

Come on, Eve.

«l’m not going anywhere,»
that’s what you told me.

You don’t need me
to tell you what to do, Sean.

You never have, so go.

But go now.

Sean, l’m changin’ my mind.

This is a suicide mission.

Yeah, l know. l know.

But maybe this doctor… lf he…

lf he can do even half
of what he says he can do,

maybe it’ll work. l don’t know.

l’d become Castor Troy, be in control.

That’s the part that scares me.

Doctor, l have something…

l have this scar that… That…

lf you can put this back
after all this is over…

lt’s important to me. lt’s like a reminder.

Sure.

Tito, please hold this for me.

Please.

Okay, let’s go.

Oh, God.

Oh, my God.

Sean.

Hey, you okay?

Come on, talk to me, Sean.

Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!

Sean!

Sean! Sean!

Come on, sit down! Sean! Sean!

Archer!

You’re Sean Archer!
You’re Sean Archer!

Sean Archer.

When this is over,

l want you to take this face and burn it.

Hey…

l still sound like me.

l’ve implanted a microchip
on your larynx.

lt’s fantastic,
but you’ll have to be careful.

Pressure, a sharp blow,
even a violent sneeze could dislodge it.

Just repeat what you hear.

Peach… I can eat a peach for hours.

Peach…

l can eat a peach for hours.

There’s a scratchy tickle.

Peach…

I can eat a peach for hours.

Peach…

I can eat a peach for hours.

Once again.

Peach… l can eat a peach for hours.

Perfect.

Now, Sean, six days until the 1 8th,
the clock’s ticking, and so is the bomb.

You’ve got two days to get Pollux to talk.

Either way, Miller comes in,
pulls you out.

You got me?

-What’s the matter?
-Face itches.

You all right? Come on, let’s go.

Archer’s gonna be pissed
when he comes back

from his training op and finds out.

The guy’s knee-deep in Georgia swamp.

You are now the property
of Erewhon prison.

A citizen of nowhere.

The Geneva Convention is void here.

Amnesty lnternational
doesn’t know we exist.

When l say your ass belongs to me,
l mean exactly that.

This entire prison’s
one big magnetic field.

The boots tell us where you are.

6-21 to population!

What’s the matter, pal?
Don’t you remember the little people?

-Burke Hicks.
-Oh, yeah.

l bust…

Believe Sean Archer busted you
for stalking the UN Secretary General.

No, Archer framed me!
l ain’t had nothin’ to do with that.

Word was you got wasted.

You want to see what
«wasted» looks like, little man?

Pollux.

Yeah!

Out of the way!

Central, there’s a disturbance
in the population.

-Go to lockdown.
-Hold that lockdown.

Come on, you pussy!

Watch your fucking mouth.

Watch your fucking mouth!

‘Cause l’m Castor Troy! Yeah!

l’m Castor Troy!

Yeah!

Lock ’em down!

l stop the fights, not you.

That’s two strikes for you, Dubov.
One more, you know where you’re goin’.

-When l get out of here…
-lf you get out of here.

…l’m gonna have you fired.

Lars? lt’s me.

Believe it!

Someone…

They took… Switched my…

Some fucking…

But it’s cool.

We’re gonna deal with it.

Oh, yes! We’re gonna deal with it!

-What’s this about?
-Dr. Walsh!

l was just sittin’ here,
enjoyin’ some of your greatest hits here.

Oh, l hope you don’t mind.

l partook of your groovy…
Your groovy painkillers.

This is fabulous work. This is… Oh!

Bravo!

Bra-fucking-vo!

Oh, God, this is excellent!

Bravo!

What do you want?

Take one goddamn guess!

Wish they’d play some of those
salmon-spawning scenes again.

l found them intensely erotic.

Fucking nature channel.

One more waterfall,
l’m gonna foam at the mouth.

lt’s like they’re begging us to riot.

Excuse me.

Not feeling very coordinated lately,
are you?

Look, Bro,

you gotta help me.

l am so fried.

lf the psychos in here
find out l’m misfiring,

we’re both gonna be dead meat.

Shock treatment?

What’s the matter with you,
did they operate?

l was in a coma.
Jesus, you’re still so fucking paranoid!

Aren’t they giving you
your medication in here?

What was my medication?

Pollux, l hand-fed you those pills
for years.

Vivex. l haven’t forgotten that.

lt’s just everything else.

lt’s senses, my reflexes…

My memory.

lt’s like a tab of bad Quantrex.

l don’t even know why
that fucking yeti jumped me yesterday.

Dubov?

You had a sex sandwich
with his wife and his sister

the night he was sent here.

l guess that explains why he’s so upset.

Wow.

We’re gonna blow up L.A., Bro.

Ain’t it cool?

All right, rub my nose in it,
why don’t you?

$1 0 million design,

and now those militia nutjobs
get to keep their cash?

lt’s so fucking unfair.

That bomb you built
does deserve an audience.

lt’s a work of art.

lt belongs in the Louvre.

Yes, it does.

Oh, well.

l guess the L.A. Convention Center
will have to do.

-What?
-Thank you.

For what?

You are so fucking pathetic.

You got a visitor.

You’re good lookin’! You’re hot!

lt’s like looking in a mirror, only not.

-Troy?
-Now, that is between us.

Okay?

But you were…

ln a coma?

Nothing like having your face cut off
to disturb your sleep.

Read the newspaper lately?

You killed them?

Well, look… Beats payin’ the bill, huh?

Come on, if a face-lift costs 5 grand…

See anything you like?

Tito.

l torched all the evidence
that proves you’re you, okay?

So, wow!
Looks like you’re gonna be in here for

the next 1 00 years!

Now, l have got to go.

l’ve got a government job to abuse
and a lonely wife to fuck.

Did l say that? l’m sorry.

Make love to.

Oh, God! l miss that face.

Die!

l’m sorry, Agent Archer.

No, don’t you worry about it, Mr. Walton.

Clearly, he’s

had a traumatic childhood and…

Thank you.

Look at this place.

l’m in hell.

l may never get a hard-on again.

Oh. Yes.

There we go.

Well, l suppose
it was only a matter of time

before you forgot where we lived.

Come on, give me a break.

Every house on this block
looks the same.

Then l spotted you…

Eve…

My one and only Eve.

So, how was your vital assignment?

Which one was that?

How should l know, Sean?

Oh, oh, oh, oh, yes…

The out-of-body experience.

Yes, that one.

-Where you goin’?
-To the hospital.

No. No!

What’s the matter?

Sean, come on.
Quit teasing me. Stop it.

l’m still really hurt, okay?

There are leftovers in the fridge.

No, no, l want to stay hungry for you…

My peach. Give me that tongue.

Sean, come on.
l can’t believe what you’re doing.

Eve…

l hate to see you go,
but l love to watch you leave.

«Date night fizzled again.

«We haven’t made love in two months.»

What a loser.

Got your e-mail, Karl.

The poem you sent me was pretty kinky.

The plot thickens.

Hang on a second.

l’ll have to call you back.

You’re not respecting my boundaries.

-l’m coming in, Janie.
-Janie?

l don’t think you heard me, Jamie.
You got something that l crave.

Clarissa left those here.

l won’t tell Mom if you don’t.

When did you start smoking?

You’ll be seeing a lot of changes
around here.

«Papa’s got a brand-new bag.»

Bye, Bro.

Drop me a line sometime.

Gonna be kind of lonely
with Pollux gone, huh?

Pollux what?

That big-shit cop, Archer,

cut him a deal
for turning states’ evidence.

Your brother’s been released.

l’m Sean Archer.

There is a bomb
at the L.A. Convention Center!

l’m Sean Archer, and…

Tiramisu

Sir, we just wanted you to know…

We’re all really sorry about Tito.

Oh, hey, shit happens, you know?

So, is our star witness talking?

Yeah. About what kind of mustard
he likes on his tongue sandwiches.

lf that bomb is out there,
we’re almost out of time.

Archer!

You made the deal with Pollux Troy.
That isn’t like you.

Well…

When all else fails, fresh tactics.

Fresh? Well, let me tell you
my fresh tactic.

From now on, everything to do
with this case goes through me.

Understood?

Good!

Thanks.

You’re supposed to be snitching
and making me look good.

Look good?

Seeing that face on you makes me
afraid my tiramisu might come back up.

Well, think about me,

this nose, this hair, this ridiculous chin.

Brother… We’re going straight.

Oh, my goodness.
You exchanged brains as well?

The first thing l need you to confess to
is the location of the bomb.

What about our $1 0 million?

What about when l become

an American hero
for defusing the bomb?

What’s that worth?

Know that. Thank you. Next question.

You’re not the only one
in the family with brains.

No.

Although now,
l am the only one with the looks.

Touché.

This is an emergency evacuation.

Go, quickly!

Go! Go! Go! Out of the way!

-Any ideas?
-Yeah, run.

Sir, it’s protected by a tamper switch,
and it’ll take us hours to bypass.

-Evacuate your team, Captain.
-But, sir, we can’t disarm…

Leave!

Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Oh, baby…

That was the scene
at the L.A. Convention Center,

where an FBI agent
became a city savior.

Sean Archer disarmed a massive bomb

just one second
before it was set to blow.

The apparent targets
were three supreme-court justices,

scheduled to speak here today,

and anyone unlucky enough
to be within a mile of the scene.

We asked Agent Archer
if the FBI had any leads

on who planted the device.

Well, that is classified information.

But if he’s listening,
I wouldn’t mind giving him a message.

Interception.
Now our side’s got the ball.

Sorry.

Wanda…

Everybody, hey, look, l…

l want to thank you
for enduring all these years

that l was an insufferable bore.

Sir, did you just have
a surgical procedure?

What do you mean?

Well, was the stick successfully
removed from your ass?

The White House on one.

lt’s the President.
Oh, and your wife on line two.

-Well, you tell the President to hold.
-Okay.

My God!

-Sean, you scared the hell out of me.
-lt’s date night.

-Congratulations.
-Oh, big deal.

Okay, l said,

«Mr. President, l want the authority

«and l want the funds and the personnel

«to take over the whole gamut
of global terrorism,» right?

And he said,

«The next name on my calling list
is Lazarro,

«and l’m telling him

«that Sean Archer writes
his own ticket,» okay?

What’s the matter?

l don’t know, Sean.

You just… You just seem so different.

l mean, what is all this about,
this intimate candlelight dinner?

l’m supposed to forget all the promises
’cause you’re going back into the fray?

lf the top cop in this country

can’t come home every night to his wife,
then the hell with the country.

Because the only place l’m going

is upstairs with you.

Exercise, one hour.

How can l get out of here?

You can’t.

How can l get these boots off?

They only take them off in the clinic,
right before they fry your skull.

Hey!

-l’m out of cigarettes.
-Get back in line, Troy.

l said l’m out of cigarettes.

Kick his ass!

Hey, what the hell? That’s not right!

l need a light!

l need a light! Anybody got a light?

Anybody got a light?

Got a light?

You better bring the bastard down
before he chokes himself to death.

Well! Happy day! lt’s Castor Troy.

Wait, hold it, hold it. Can l have a light?

You know those things will kill you.

Get his boots, Walton.

Dubov, l didn’t touch your wife.

And l didn’t touch your sister.

But l know your wife loves you.

She’s waiting for you.
So let’s get out of here.

You’re more brain-dead than Dubov.

Out.

Open the door!

l got him!

There’s fire.
We have a man down in C-4.

l got ’em!

Move it, now!

Move!

Get down!

Dubov!

No!

Get out.

Dubov!

Give me your hand.

Come on!

You can do it!

No!

Sean!

Wait!

-What are you doing?
-Oh! l’m sorry.

Have a nice day.

«Have a nice day»? What is with you?

ls this your way
ofjust not dealing with this morning?

Yeah. Yeah, maybe.

Sean! Sean!

l know it’s hard for you,

but it’s hard for me, too,
and we still have to go.

Happy birthday, Mikey.

He took our baby, Sean.
He took our little boy.

-You turned your beeper off.
-Yes, well, my son’s birthday.

Well, here’s some poetic justice, sir,
Castor Troy is dead.

He got killed,
trying to escape from Erewhon.

Where’s his body?
l want to see his body.

-lt hasn’t been recovered yet.
-lt hasn’t been recovered yet?

Get the LAPD on this!

Even if he is alive,

Castor isn’t stupid enough
to come back to the city.

You must… You must trust me.

He’s already here.

County General.
How may I direct your call?

Dr. Archer, please. lt’s an emergency.

May I say who’s calling?

Her husband.

Dr. Archer? Call on line three.

l know this sounds crazy, but…

-Sean?
-Eve, listen carefully,

the man you think is your husband isn’t.

-Who is this?
-Just listen.

Take Jamie, go to your mother’s.

Don’t tell him where you’re going.
Just go.

Whoever you are, don’t call again.

Operations.

l need Victor Lazarro immediately.

Regarding?

l have information about Castor Troy.

I’ll transfer you, sir.

Sean Archer here. Who’s calling?

Well, if you’re Sean Archer,
l guess l’m Castor Troy.

Yes.

This escaped convict
is considered extremely dangerous.

If you have any information

concerning the whereabouts
of Castor Troy…

You goddamn right! Yeah!

This shit’s so good,
it’s gonna make your dick hard.

What? Cheryl? Cheryl’s a liar!

Dietrich…

So, you’re still selling drugs
to Cheryl and Phil Roy.

Castor Fucking Troy!
Oh, man! You scared me, man!

All right! All right!

l never should have sold you
those bombs.

lt’s my curse. l can’t say no to a friend.

-You can’t say no to money.
-That’s my other curse.

-You drug dealer!
-What’s the matter?

What?

You look like
you just fucked your mother.

Come on, let’s go relax, huh?

Hey!

Hey, Castor.

l don’t believe this!

Castor Troy!

How you been?

Hey, baby! Remember me?
l’m your favorite peach.

l thought l was your favorite.

Look at this guy.

You know, you look pretty good
for a dead guy.

Hey!

-Let’s go.
-Two?

Yeah.

So, what do you want to do?

-You want to get out of the country?
-l’m not going anywhere.

l’m gonna get Sean Archer
with your help.

Okay.

Welcome home, baby.

How are we supposed to do that?

He’s vulnerable at home.

No. l mean,
this is Sean Archer we’re talkin’ about.

This isn’t just some Boy Scout.

Fitch…

Besides, his house is probably
alarmed up the wazoo.

The code is 1 0-1 9-86.
That’s his dead son’s birthday.

Don’t it just break your heart?

That’s brilliant. But sick.

How is it that you know
so much about Sean Archer?

l sleep with his wife.

What?

Jesus Christ, this is great.

So, once we kidnap supercop,
then what?

Tiny surgery.

l’d like to take his face

off.

Yeah.

Now, if you’ll excuse me,

l have to use
the little boys’ wee-wee room.

Cas…

You want to take his face…

Yes. His face

off!

The eyes,

nose, skin,

it’s comin’ off.

The face…

Off.

No more drugs for that man.

l’m not me.

l’m me.

Not me.

Me.

Castor.

Archer.

Castor. Archer.

-l thought you were dead.
-l’m not dead.

l’m me.

No, no, look, what l’m trying to tell you,
Brother, Pollux,

is once we get the full protection
and resources of the government

to help us get rid of our rivals, right,
then we’ll be set.

Then maybe, just maybe,
l’ll get my frickin’ face back.

Then l’ll just have one jagoff
to take care of.

Hey, where you goin’? Where you goin’?

Karl, stop it.

Maybe two. Hang on.

-Karl, stop it! Karl!
-Calm down!

Karl, my dad’s gonna… Karl!

Happy hunting. l’ll catch you later.

Yeah, like Mr. fucking lnvisible
gives a shit about you, anyways.

So fucking hold still.

-Karl!
-Calm down!

-Say you’re sorry.
-l’m sorry!

-l didn’t hear it.
-l’m sorry!

-Mean it.
-l’m so sorry!

Dress up like Halloween,
and ghouls will try to get in your pants.

Typical, Dad.

Some guy tries to rape me,
and l’m to blame.

This isn’t you.

You haven’t been the same
since Mike died,

hiding behind someone else’s face,

hoping you wouldn’t feel the pain.

While we’re talking,

do you have protection?

What, you mean, like, condoms?

Protection.

Next time, let Karl take his pants down.

Slip this in his thigh,
twist it, so the wound won’t close.

Now, go on. Get out of here.

l am the king.

Eve…

Jesus, Cas! lt’s me!

lt’s me.

Cas.

Come on. lt’s me.

Jesus!

Come on.

Don’t you want to talk?

The only talk l’ve ever heard from you
is, «Suck my tongue,»

«love your ass,» and «see ya.»

Take this filthy shit off, put this on,
and get out of here!

No, l’m not going anywhere.

Oh, really?
What do you expect me,

after all this time,
just to jump on you?

-That’s not…
-ls that what you expect?

-That’s not what l meant.
-What did you mean, huh?

ls this what you meant?

That?

How about this? ls that good? Huh?

Sean Archer.

Bro, l figured he might drop in
on some of our old friends.

And if my eyes don’t deceive,

l think this fellow’s
beginning to enjoy being you.

Good.

Look, look, okay, look,

Sasha.

What l meant is
that l’m not going anywhere

until your brother helps me first.

Cas, if the FBl finds out
that you’re here, l’ll lose my son.

Please, Cas, you just gotta go.

l’ve said and done some things
that made your life harder.

-l know.
-How would you?

-When you left, you never looked back.
-l just know.

Look, Sasha,
l’m not the same person you remember.

And for what it’s worth, l’m sorry.

-These are nice-looking clothes.
-Yeah, of course. They’re yours.

l know, l…

Just like them.

That’s a nice-looking kid, too.

Yeah. Of course.

He’s yours, too.

Move! Move!

-How old is he?
-Five.

Nobody knows he’s yours.

l was scared someone would hurt him
just to hurt you.

Adam! Adam!

l don’t want you playing
with those things.

They are very, very dangerous, okay?

Now, come on, sweetie.

l want you to meet your father.

Look at him. lt’s okay. Say, «Hi.»

Hi.

Michael!

Michael! Michael?

Cas. Cas.

-Michael?
-Cas, you’re scaring him. Let him go.

What is the matter with you?

Get down!

Okay, Red Team! Red Team, break off!

How’d you get to be so brave?
How’d you get to be so brave?

Come out now with your hands up!

Put these on.

That’s a good idea, baby.
Listen to your music.

Come on.

Go! Go!

We have a warrant for your arrest!

Cops.

l hate cops.

Come on, kid.

Move! Move!

Go! Go! Go! Move more to the right!

Go! Go!

Let’s get out of here!

Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!

Damn! My place is getting fucked up.

Take him.

Cas!

Cas! Give me the boy!

Really? Really? Come on!

Come on! Let’s go! Go! Go! Go!

Cas, be careful with him!

Don’t be scared. All right? All right?

Adam!

Get him out back! Go! Go! Go!

Put the boy down.

Honey, don’t touch that.

lt isn’t nice!

l don’t ever want to see you do that.

They’re like cockroaches!

Hey! Drop it.

That’s it.

Buzz.

Hey!

Told him not to fuck with me.

Take the boy and get out of here.

-Are you all right?
-Go!

Hurry up.

Hey, man.

We had some good times, didn’t we?

l don’t know what l hate wearing worse,

your face or your body.

l mean, l enjoy boning your wife.

Now, let’s face it,
we both like it better the other way, yes?

So why don’t we just trade back?

You can’t give back
what you’ve taken from me.

Oh, well…

Plan «B.»

Let’s just kill each other.

Sir, why are you so upset?

lt’s just Pollux Troy.

Sir, look. You’re on the cover of Time.

Listen, «ln a single week,
Agent Sean Archer

«has ordered a stunning series
of blitzkrieg-style raids

«on the hideouts, staging grounds,
and safe houses

«of our nation’s assassins, car bomb…»

Sean, look, we’re friends,
so l’m gonna tell you face to face.

l don’t give a damn
if you are Time’s Man of the Year.

After last night’s blood bath,
l am terminating your war on terrorists.

ls that because l’m getting
all the kudos and you’re not?

l don’t know
where you’re getting your intelligence.

lt’s not from field agents.

Sometimes l think you know too much.

Washington’s starting to worry.
Justice wants a hearing.

They’re concerned
about the constitutionality

of your gestapo tactics,
and frankly, so am l!

Okay, Victor,
l’ll give the taxpayers a break.

But…

l have something l want to confess,

and l don’t think you’re gonna like it.

l am Castor Troy.

-Kimmy. Kim?
-Yes, sir?

Call the paramedics.
Victor Lazarro has had a heart attack.

-Oh, God, right away.
-Thank you.

Eighty-one.

Home.

Eve.

No, honey, please.
Please don’t scream.

Don’t scream. l’m not gonna hurt you.

Just don’t… Don’t…

Just don’t look at my face.

And the voice, don’t… Listen.

l know who you are! You killed our son!

l did not kill our son.

l’m Sean!

No! No!

The last time l saw you
was in this room.

We had a fight
when l said l had to go away again.

l spent the night in Mike’s old bed.

l’m tired, Eve.

The assignment was to enter
a federal prison as Castor Troy.

lt’s just fucking insane.

And a Special-Ops surgeon

gave me Castor’s face!

Then…

And then, somehow,
Castor came out of his…

His coma and killed everybody

who knew about the mission,

but not before transforming into me.

l know you don’t believe
a word l’m saying.

Well, here’s proof, Doctor.

Your husband… Me… My…
Sean’s blood type is O-negative.

Castor’s is AB.

And l love you.

Get some backup.

What a day.

You look tense.

l know l’ve been acting
different lately, strange,

but l’ve got a confession to make, Eve.

You’re not gonna like it.

Oh, Eve, l feel… l feel so close to you.

l read your diary.
l know l shouldn’t have. l’m ashamed.

But l did.

l just want to be the man
that you deserve, passionate, tender.

Victor Lazarro died today.
He had a heart seizure.

My mentor, gone.

First Tito, then Victor. So what?

l hope this doesn’t mean l’m losing you.

Of course not.

You’re the only family l’ve got.

Oh, God.

l was hoping you’d come here.

Thank you for trusting me.

Right now, l don’t trust anyone.

Eve, where’d you get that gun?

l took it from my fake husband.

Put it down.

-You know l’m Sean.
-Do l?

Maybe Sean’s already dead, huh?

l’m moving very slowly.

l was thinking the other day…

l remember l once took a date out

for surf and turf,
not knowing she was a vegetarian.

So she ate bread,

and broke her tooth on a rye seed.

We drove around all night

looking for a all-night dentist.

And he was so drunk,

he fixed the wrong tooth.

And when l finally brought her home…

Even though it must have hurt like hell,

you kissed me.

Sean…

That man…

You know we’ve been living together
as man and wife for a week.

l know.

Eve.

l put you in that position,
and l can never make it up to you.

Well, you’re damn well gonna try.

Let me take a look at that wound
before you bleed to death.

With Lazarro out of the way,

Castor’s the new acting director
of the Bureau.

-He’s untouchable.
-Not tomorrow.

Tomorrow he’ll be at Victor’s service.

Tomorrow.

That will be the day.

l want you and Jamie away from there.
Give him a good excuse.

l can cover for Jamie,
but if l’m not coming,

he’s gonna know something’s up.

And besides, l’m the only one
who can try and explain the truth.

Excuse me, Mr. Archer, may l help you?

Dr. Levine to X-ray.

Sean, what are you doing here?

l’m so sorry, darling.

l just get so jealous.

l mean, what is a guy to think

when his wife runs off
in the middle of the night?

That l’m a doctor that’s on call,

so please let me
get back to work, okay?

Sorry.

Lies, distrust, mixed messages,
this is turning into a real marriage.

How’s Adam?

l took him over to my cousin’s
until this whole thing blows over.

-Where’s Jamie?
-That’s what l’d like to know.

She stole $50 from my purse
and took off.

-So, what’s the next move?
-This isn’t your fight.

Well, come on, you’re surprised?

Our daughter won’t even visit
Michael’s grave.

You think she gives a damn
about your boss?

He killed my brother.
l’m not gonna let him take you, too.

Whatever happens, l promise

Sean Archer is off your back for good.

My dear friends,

we are here to celebrate
the life of Victor Lazarro.

Amen.

Somebody back there
asked me to give this to you.

ln peace now,
let us take our brother Victor

to his place of rest.

lsn’t this religious?

Yes.

The eternal battle
between good and evil,

saint and sinner.

But you’re still not having any fun!

Honey? Honey.

Come here.

And guess what?

Your daughter’s on the way.
History repeats itself.

This is between us.

-Leave them out of it.
-No, you should have left them out of it.

Your son was an accident.
l wanted to kill you.

But you took it so personally.

Why didn’t you just kill yourself
or let it go?

No father could.

-No brother could, either.
-Neither could a sister.

Hey, baby.

Sasha, what the fuck
are you doing here?

Gee, Archer, l guess l’m crashing.

-You okay, baby?
-Yeah, thanks.

Sasha, Baby, l’m Castor.

That’s Archer.

And l’m bored.

Put the fucking gun down.

Why don’t you put your guns down?

What a predicament!

Take care of our boy.

l love him so much.

Don’t let him grow up
to be like us. Promise?

-Yeah.
-See ya.

Mom?

Jamie!

Jamie, don’t!

Hello, Wanda?
Wanda, this is Eve Archer.

l have something crazy to tell you.

lt’s a capital crime to try to kill
the next big boss of the FBl, yes?

Yes!

-Yes!
-The penalty…

What?

The penalty is death!

Die. Please, God, die.

Hold it!

Good girl, Jamie! Shoot him!

Honey, don’t listen to him.

He’s not your father! Hear my voice!

l’m your father!

Use your eyes, Jamie! Shoot him!

Don’t listen to him! Don’t shoot!

This scumbag…
This scumbag shot your brother, Jamie!

Kill him!

Clod!

No daughter of mine
would shoot so wide.

Dad, put the gun down.

Put it down.

Dad, put it down.

Now we’re gonna find out
what’s in Papa’s bag.

Peaches.

Say goodbye to Papa!

Jamie!

Jamie, are you all right? Oh, God!

Sir, are you okay?

Will someone please tell me
what planet l’m on?

Get down!

Stop! This is the police!

Stop immediately
or we will be forced to open fire!

Fire! Fire!

You’re right, Sean. l’ve misbehaved.

l need to be punished.

But remember,

every time you look in the mirror,
you’ll see my face.

Die!

Ready

Ready for the big ride, baby

You okay, Archer?

What did you call me?

He called you Archer, sir.

Sean.

They’re bringing in their
top surgical team from DC.

You’re gonna be okay.

When you wake up,
everything will be restored

just the way it was.

My scar…

The one near my heart?

This old bullet wound,
l won’t need it anymore.

Okay.

Dad?

l’m sorry l shot you.

l’ve got something
l have to ask both of you.

This is Adam,
and he needs a place to live.

Hi.

My name’s Jamie.

l’m Adam.

Why don’t you show Adam
his new room?

Come on!

Okay.

Face/Off is the second American Heroic Bloodshed film by Hong Kong director John Woo, starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage playing an FBI agent and terrorist, as arch enemies fighting it out to see who can use the most guns at the same time. Oh, and then they switch places to save Los Angeles.

FBI Special Agent Sean Archer (Travolta) has been pursuing his Arch-Enemy, terrorist-for-hire Castor Troy (Cage), for six years, ever since Castor sniped Archer’s six year old son Michael dead during an attempt on Archer’s life. After an intense gunfight, Archer captures Castor, putting him in a coma in the process. However, Archer is nonplussed to learn that before Castor’s lights went out, he placed a bomb somewhere in Los Angeles.

Theoretically, this would be the point where the movie completely jumps the rails — but that would be assuming it was ever on rails to begin with.

In order to find where Castor has planted the bomb, Archer volunteers to have Castor’s face surgically transplanted onto him so he can get close to Castor’s nerdy brother Pollux (Alessandro Nivola). Except, while Archer (now played by Cage) is away, Castor wakes up from his coma and forces the doctors who performed the surgery to do the same to him, and then murders them. With his new face, Castor (now played by Travolta) begins inserting himself into Archer’s life, including wife Dr. Eve Archer (Joan Allen) and daughter Jamie Archer (Dominique Swain).

Although the film is a straight-up action flick with all the requisite high-speed chases, hidden bombs and hostage situations, it’s also very much tongue-in-cheek.

In February 2021, Paramount Pictures finally announced a sequel has been greenlit, with Adam Wingard (of You’re Next, Death Note (2017), and Godzilla vs. Kong fame) as director and his buddy Simon Barrett writing, with a currently unknown release date. It’s also unknown if Travolta Will return as Sean Archer, or in any capacity, same for Cage as Castor Troy.

Not to be confused with the series Face/Off, a makeup-F/X reality competition on the SyFy Channel.

---

Tropes included:

• Acting for Two: John Travolta and Nicolas Cage each spend time as Sean Archer and as Castor Troy.
• Actually, I Am Him:
  • Victor Lazarro corners Castor about his Cowboy Cop raids:

    Castor Troy: OK, Victor, I’ll, uh, give the taxpayers a break. [puts his hand on Lazarro’s shoulder] But I’ve got something to confess. I don’t think you’re gonna like it.

    [puts his mouth on Lazarro’s ear]

    Castor Troy: [angrily] I am Castor Troy! [throws Lazarro to the floor and punches him in the chest hard enough to stop his heart completely]

  • Archer and Castor, with each other’s faces, are in a Mexican standoff at the church.

    Sean Archer: This is between us. Leave them out of it.

    Castor Troy: No. You should have left them out of it. Your son was an accident. I wanted to kill you. But, you took it so personally! Why couldn’t you just kill yourself or let it go?

    Sean Archer: No father could.

    Castor Troy: No brother could either. [Castor’s girlfriend Sasha comes in with a pistol in hand]

    Sasha Hassler: Neither could a sister. Hey baby. [She tosses a spare gun to Archer, as Archer has Castor’s face]

    Castor Troy: [annoyed] Sasha, what the fuck are you doing here?

    Sasha Hassler: Gee, Archer, I’m crashing the party. You okay, baby?

    Sean Archer: Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks.

    Castor Troy: Sasha… baby, I’m Castor. He’s Archer.

    Sasha Hassler: And I’m bored. Put the fucking gun down.

• Alas, Poor Villain:
  • Dietrich. Even Archer-as-Troy looks upset as he’s cradling the dying man.

    Hey, man… we had some good times, didn’t we?

  • Pollux gets this treatment as well, as Castor solemnly ties his shoelaces one last time before walking out of the now destroyed apartment.
• Agony of the Feet: One prison guard is shot in the foot from below by Archer during the prison break.
• The Alcatraz: Erehwon Prison (i.e, «Nowhere» spelled backwards), where the prisoners are forced to wear magnetic boots to get locked into place. The prison and its name play into the film’s only major The Reveal: as Sean Archer (played by Cage) is escaping the prison, he opens a door to walk outside to what he believes is a roof, only to find that it’s a helicopter platform, and what lies down is not land, as Archer hopes, but sea. The prison really is «nowhere,» it’s on what used to be an oil rig.
• All There in the Script: The script reveals a number of interesting facts about the main characters that were never mentioned in the film:
  • Castor Troy received a tattoo of the Sphinx on his tenth birthday. It also turns out that that was the day his mother died by overdosing. Though Castor had attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, he failed. Afterwards, he made a promise to protect Pollux. Hence the reason why Castor seems overly protective of Pollux.
  • Archer comes close to giving himself away by scratching his wedding band. Pollux is also clearly uneasy after telling Archer the location of the bomb because Archer smiles like himself, not like Castor.
  • Sasha Hassler is 35 years old, and met Castor Troy at a Pearl Jam reunion.
  • Castor Troy does not like being called a wimp, as shown in the script’s version of the scene where he beats up Jamie’s boyfriend. The script also suggests that he doesn’t seem really fond of the boyfriend simply because Castor thinks he’s a bit old for her, even though the real Archer is a few years older than Eve.
  • The script suggests Archer feels like he killed Tito and Lazarro, indirectly (albeit it was Castor Troy using his face).
  • Director Lazarro turns out to have formerly served in the Navy as an admiral.
• And I’m the Queen of Sheba: When Castor tries to tell Sasha who’s who, she responds, «And I am bored.»
• Arch-Enemy: Castor Troy to Sean Archer.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Castor Troy’s gift box of contraband on the tarmac: two gold plated Springfield pistols, a bag of blue pills, sunglasses, 3 rolled cigarettes (or joints), a switchblade, what appears to be a blue glass vial, and…4 pieces of Bazooka Joe bubble gum and a pack of Chiclets.
• Artistic License � Medicine: Obviously, full face transplant surgery is not yet this easy. They at least say that it’s a newfound, cutting-edge technique (so don’t pretend this isn’t fiction), plus some alterations to make their bodies alike in other ways. However, Archer and Troy still have different builds which would be a dead giveaway for people who know them well, since those can’t be altered (they aren’t even with the fictional surgical wizardry).
• Ask a Stupid Question…: Dr. Walsh is dragged before a faceless Castor Troy and has the gall to ask «What do you want?»

  Castor Troy:…take one goddamn guess.

• A-Team Firing: Every. Single. Named. Character.
• Ax-Crazy: Castor Troy. Pollux is definitely insane as well, but much cooler and calmer.
• Badass Bookworm: Pollux Troy. He overpowers an FBI agent armed with a gun, when all he has is a briefcase, and when the cops corner them goes gun blazing at them.
• Bad Habits: In Castor Troy’s introductory scene, he plants a bomb in the Convention Center while disguised as a priest. Then he dances away and headbangs to a choir singing «Hallelujah», before stopping to grope a blonde choir girl. (In a deleted scene, he also kills a janitor who catches him in the act and makes it look like an accident)

  Castor Troy: You know I never even enjoy the Messiah. In fact I think it’s fucking boring. But your voice makes even hack like Handel seem like a genius. [proceeds to grope the choir girl and sing along with the chorus for a few lines. He then basically orgasms]

• Becoming the Mask: Despite the premise, more or less averted save for one scene. When Archer starts fighting another prison to prove to Pollux that he is Castor, he comes dangerously close to actually killing the man by bashing his face in with a serving tray. He snaps out of his state just become he does though, and is clearly horrified by what he was about to do.
  • Even if its for selfish reasons, Castor genuinely enjoys taking over Archer�s job and all the perks that comes with it.
• Bed Trick: After Castor Troy has Sean Archer’s face surgically grafted onto his head, he taunts Sean (who has Castor’s face grafted on his) about how among other things, he’ll have his way with Sean’s wife. Later, he romances and seduces her.
• Big «NO!»: Sean Archer yells this when realizing he’s located in the middle of the ocean, when escaping to the roof of what he thought was a building during his escape from Erehwon.
• Bilingual Bonus: The priest near the climax prays not just in English but also in Latin (with a little Greek) in the funeral. They are the Sign of the Cross, with some other Latin Prayers during a Latin Mass and the Kyrie eleison (Lord have mercy).
• Bloodstained Glass Windows: You just knew that Woo would fit a church shootout into this movie somewhere.
• Bluff the Impostor: Pollux quizzes Archer-as-Castor on what medication he takes, but Archer is so obsessed with Castor that he is able to answer correctly.
• Book Ends: The first encounter with Castor Troy in the movie has him sing, «Ready for the big ride, baby!» before he attempts to stab Archer and gets kicked into the jet. When he’s dying on the pier after getting speared, he repeats this song.
• Bottomless Magazines: Averted. Castor and Archer are seen frequently reloading during shootouts and in the hangar standoff Castor toyingly tells Archer, «Well, you better hit me, Sean, ’cause you’ve only got one bullet left!»
• Bring My Brown Pants: Archer refuses to give in to Agent Miller and Dr. Walsh’s proposal for him to take Castor Troy’s face to get information on the bomb from Castor, saying «I’ll get his gang to talk! That’s what I do!» Gilligan Cut to Archer roughly throwing two of Castor’s men out of the observation room and Tito quipping «Damn! What is that smell?» as Archer scared one of them so intensely that he pissed his pants.
• Broken Bird: Jamie’s troubled behavior is implied to be as a result of the grief from the loss of her brother.
• Brother�Sister Incest: That seemed like a very un-sisterly kiss Dietrich and Sasha gave each other before he died.
• Cassandra Truth:
  • When Archer is wearing Castor Troy’s face, he ends up forcing himself to take alcohol and drugs with Castor’s friends to maintain his disguise; upon doing so, he claims that he knows so much about Archer because he’s sleeping with Archer’s wife, and that he plans on taking Archer’s face….off and wear it. Due to the bizarre nature of the claim, Dietrich decides it’s actually inebriated gibberish despite the fact that everything Archer said is absolutely true.
  • Also Castor, wearing Sean Archer’s face, tries to tell his ex-girlfriend, Sasha, of his true identity in the Mexican standoff, only for her to respond, «And I am bored.» Judging by him sighing after her response, it seems he could care less if she doesn’t believe him.
• Chairman of the Brawl: Eve hits Castor with a chair when the Mexican standoff is broken to disarm him and keep him from shooting Archer.
• Chekhov’s Gun:
  • Prior to the surgery, Dr. Walsh tells Archer that his and Castor’s blood types are different, as Archer has O+ blood and Castor has AB- blood. Eventually, after all the efforts Archer has tried to make to warn Eve that Castor is impersonating him fail, he remembers that their blood types don’t match and manages to convince her to take a sample of her «husband»‘s blood, knowing that when she runs it through a hemoglobin test, she will find the blood type to be AB-. Once the blood test confirms to Eve that Castor is impersonating Archer, Archer uses the story of their first date to fully convince her.
  • Also, the voice chips that give Archer and Castor the other’s voice when they acquire those respective faces end up proving a problem for Archer when he realizes he doesn’t sound like himself.
  • After the attempted rape scene, Castor gives Jamie a butterfly knife and shows her how to stab someone in the leg with it. In the climax, when he uses her as a human shield against Archer in the church standoff and prepares to execute her, she takes out the knife he gave her and stabs him the way he taught her!
• Cheshire Cat Grin:
  • When Castor strides into the prison visitor’s room wearing Archer’s face, he gives one of these to demonstrate how delighted he is that Archer is locked up in prison while he is a free man.
  • This is also an alternate name for a Glasgow Grin (also called a Chelsea Grin or a Glasgow Smile) — facial scars (caused by knife wounds) that look like a smile. Actor Tommy Flanagan, who plays one of Castor’s Co-Dragons, Leo (when Castor is impersonating Archer), has a Glasgow Smile in real life.
• The Coats Are Off: Though this usually happens before a fight, Castor removes his jacket and rolls up his sleeves, singing «hallelujah» to himself while preparing to disarm «Sinclaire».
• Cold Sniper: The opening flashback shows Castor Troy setting up a sniper rifle on a hill overlooking a carousel that Archer is taking his son Michael on. He takes aim, and when he gets a clean aim, he fires. The bullet ends up going through Archer non-lethally and kills Michael.
• Combat Sadomasochist: Castor Troy looks like he’s having an orgasm whenever he’s doing evil things. For example, in the first chase and shootout, he has what looks like an o-face or a Slasher Smile as he pushes the beaten Agent Winters out the plane door in front of Archer, pistol to the back of her head, shouts «One of yours, Sean?!» and then proceeds to execute her to taunt Archer.
  • His accidental kill of Archer’s son is the only time Troy doesn’t do this, looking rather horrified at what his bungled shot had done but it’s not clear if this is because he’s upset because he accidentally killed a child or just because he failed to kill Archer and correctly assumes Archer will now hound him till the day he dies.
• Conservation of Ninjutsu:
  • It seems that large numbers of FBI agents, cops, security staff, and special agents are incapable of facing off against Castor Troy in a shootout. In the hangar gunfight, Castor offs the FBI agents like they were candy with just his twin gold-plated pistols (and at one point a SWAT officer’s shotgun) until Sean Archer is taking him on one-handedly (for some reason the dozens of other agents stay out of the action once Archer and Castor have pistols trained on each other — but then again, Archer has a more personal vendetta against Castor than they do). Said agents should be much better trained to have the upper hand in a gunfight.
  • Not even the SWAT teams are immune given the number of agents at Dietrich’s apartment who are shot while wearing paramilitary gear and sub-machine guns, managing to more handedly gun down the unarmed women trying to escape than any actual combatents. The Los Angeles FBI field office has to be suffering a severe shortage of men to adequately staff it by the end of the movie.
• Cool Shades:
  • Castor’s gold-rimmed sunglasses that he wears at the airport prior to getting on the plane.
  • Each character when being portrayed by Travolta wears aviator sunglasses.
• Cool Guns: Castor Troy’s weapon of choice during the opening chase and shootout are a pair of custom gold titanium nitride plated Springfield Armory M1911-A1 pistols. Later, Archer ends up using another set of them in the shootout at Dietrich’s apartment while Castor settles for Archer’s old duty pistol.
• Cop Killer:
  • Castor kills an undercover FBI agent he caught early on, then kills several more over the course of the film.
  • Castor’s associates, including Dietrich and Sasha, do the same in the raid on Dietrich’s penthouse. In fairness though it’s arguably self-defense as the FBI came in firing without even an attempt to arrest them.
  • Archer as well, since he appears to kill a couple guards while escaping.
• Counting Bullets: The hangar standoff has this:

  Sean Archer: [jams pistol to Castor’s neck] Give up, Castor! Your time’s up! [beat]

  Castor Troy: [laughs] Well, you better hit me, Sean, ’cause you got only one bullet left!

  Sean Archer: So do you!

• Cynicism Catalyst: One sees that Sean Archer fell into this after his son’s death, which has led to his obsessiveness and ruthlessness dealing with criminals, especially Castor Troy. He gets better with time.
• Date Rape Averted: By way of the facelift, Castor Troy intends to ruin Archer’s life. Even though his personality doesn’t change and he’s still a psychotic killer, rape is one crime even he finds too evil. In the midst of a heated phone call to Pollux, Castor sees Jamie’s boyfriend attempting to rape her after parking his car in front of his house. He tells Pollux to call back, then rushes out, bashes the window, pulls Karl out of the car, throws him around, then forces him to apologize. (Then again, see Bed Trick below.)
• Deadly Euphemism: «And stay away from downtown on the 18th. It’s gonna be a little, uh, [grins] smoggy.»
• Death by Disfigurement: Zigzagged. Agent Loomis has his ear blown off in the opening shootout and is killed later in the movie, but his ear had been completely healed and restructured.
• Death by Secret Identity:
  • Invoked by Castor, admitting to Archer’s boss Victor Lazarro about his true identity before triggering his heart attack.
  • Completely averted for Sasha as she dies without realizing that it’s Archer she’s saying her last words to, not Castor.
• Death of a Child: Castor’s first onscreen kill is Sean’s young son, Michael, with a bullet meant for Michael’s father in an Accidental Murder moment.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: It appears that Archer was probably a pretty nice guy to work with originally based on his behavior in the opening flashback. Six years later, the death of his son has Archer acting like a jerk towards his fellow agents, and somewhat estranged from his own wife and daughter due to his personal obsession over stopping Castor Troy. Then he finds himself wearing Castor’s face, and Castor ends up with Archer’s face. Wearing Castor’s face allows Archer to begin to realize just how severely his obsession with hunting Castor affects those around him, especially when one of the consequences is Castor receiving Archer’s face.
• Died in Your Arms Tonight:
  • Archer’s son dies on the carousel when Castor’s bullet passes through Archer’s body and hits him in the head. Archer subsequently cradles his dead body.
  • Dietrich is shot in the neck by Castor while taking a bullet intended for Sasha, and Archer grabs him as he collapses.
  • When the Mexican standoff in the church is broken, both of Castor’s enforcers are dead, and Sasha is lying mortally wounded on top of Archer. She manages to tell Archer to raise Adam for her before she takes her last breath.
  • As scripted, Pollux’s death was originally this, as the script has Castor grab him, apparently trying to invoke this trope.
  • The computer file on Archer’s son even references the trope:

    Carousel Sniper Victim
    Murdered 9 September 1991
    Damage Report: The boy died in the arms of his father, FBI Agent Sean Archer, on the carousel in Griffith Park. Castor Troy had intended to kill Sean Archer but the bullet traveled through him and struck Michael in the chest.

• Did They or Didn’t They?: It’s implied that Eve Archer probably had sex with Castor while he was impersonating Sean, but this is never explicitly stated. The two of them definitely did sleep in the same bed together, but it’s never stated or shown if anything more intimate happened. Clues include the fact that Castor taunted Sean that this was his goal, Eve’s glowing contentment with their «renewed» relationship and the traumatic way she and Sean react when she reminds him that she and Castor had been «living as husband and wife» for a week. These give the impression this was the case, but nothing is certain.
• Dirty Cop: Castor abuses Archer’s job with impunity, getting Pollux released from prison by having him «confess» the location of their big bomb so that he can «locate» it and play hero, while using Archer’s men as assassins to get rid of his associates, and stealthily take Archer’s place in his family.
• Disappeared Dad: Adam is Castor’s son by his girlfriend Sasha. Until the exchange Sasha has with Archer (who at that point is impersonating Castor), she hadn’t told him or anyone else who his father was, so Castor wasn’t involved since he didn’t know (Sasha was afraid his rivals might target Adam if they knew).
• Disposable Pilot: The «who’s gonna fly the plane?» thingy is subverted by Castor Troy. When Archer shoots two of the plane’s engines, they short out and set off the engine fire alarm. Castor promptly executes the pilot with a bullet….but it turns out he can’t get the plane up in the air either as Archer had previously damaged the wing flaps with the skids on the police helicopter, so Castor instead frantically diverts the plane off the runway…and into a hangar.
• Dissimile: «It’s like looking in a mirror, only not.»
• Disturbed Doves: It wouldn’t be a John Woo film otherwise.
• Double-Meaning Title: There’s a face-off in the sense of a showdown, and the surgery that takes each character’s face… off.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: At the end of the film, Archer kills off Castor, reunites with his family, adopts Adam, and gets his face back.
• Establishing Character Moment: The sequence prior to the airplane action sequence establishes who exactly our two leads are: Sean Archer is shown venting his frustrations on his subordinates at the FBI field office. Meanwhile, Castor Troy sets the timer for a massive bomb he calls «Sinclaire» (she will blow you AWAY!), then headbangs to Handel’s «Hallelujah Chorus», and even gropes a blonde choir girl, practically looking like he’s orgasming at that point. If you didn’t get how much of a Large Ham Castor was from those few minutes, you must have been sleeping through it.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones:
  • Castor Troy genuinely loves his eccentric idiot-savant brother Pollux. He refuses to kill him even after Pollux accidentally betrays their location to Archer by personally paying for the private jet (instead of letting one of their cronies do it) as most terrorists would have, sheds tears when Pollux dies and even ties his shoelaces for one last time before leaving.
  • Castor’s gang in general seem a pretty close-knit band of friends, willing to stick up for one another when things get hairy (as evidenced by the penthouse raid). Pity Castor doesn’t really care about any of them outside of Pollux.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Zig-zagged with Castor Troy, an indiscriminately murderous scumbag. He beats up Jamie’s boyfriends for trying to rape her and gives her a knife for self defense. However, earlier in the film he also threatened to rape Jamie to her father’s face. He shows that he’s serious when, during the standoff in the climax, he licks her face while she thinks Troy is her father. In the opening Troy also shows shock when he accidentally shoots Archer’s son, but when he visits the boy’s grave with Archer’s weeping wife he looks more bored than remorseful. The only definite redeeming trait he ends up with is his love for his brother Pollux.
• Every Car Is a Pinto: It’s a John Woo film, what do you expect? If a boat crashed and DIDN’T turn into a ball of flames you’d be asking for your money back.
• Evil Is Hammy: Character wise, Castor Troy is the hammy one. Archer only hams it up when he’s pretending to be Troy.
• Evil Is Petty: At the end of the final battle, Castor-as-Archer realizes he’s screwed, since Archer-as-Castor has him pinned to a wall with a speargun aimed at his gut. He musters just enough strength to grab the bolt and tries to mutilate Archer’s stolen face with a piece of shrapnel in one last act of hateful petty spite.
• Evil Parents Want Good Kids: Sasha’s dying words.
• Eye Take: Several times with Castor — multiple times during the hangar shootout when he’s reloading. Another one is an extreme close-up so that you can see a hint of anger building up in him when Lazarro confronts him after Pollux’s death.
• Facepalm: Archer’s reaction upon discovering that the Walsh Institute is keeping Castor alive and on life support.
• Fake Ultimate Hero: When Castor decides to have Pollux «confess» the location of their bomb so that he can «locate» and disarm it to «thwart» his own plan to get $10 million in exchange for being praised.
• Faux Affably Evil: Castor Troy is very affectionate towards younger brother Pollux, and even has a much friendlier attitude and offbeat sense of humor when communicating with his fellow FBI agents than Archer ever has. That being said, Castor is also a career criminal who has done such things like amputate a victim’s limbs before shooting said man in the face with his own gun and tossing his remains out of an airplane, and Castor is a thousand times more dangerous once he takes Archer’s face and begins posing as him.
• Fiery Cover-Up: When Castor visits Archer in Erehwon Prison to taunt him. He flashes a newspaper article in Archer’s face headlined «Deadly Inferno at Walsh Institute». Cue flashbacks of Dr. Miller, Dr. Walsh, and Tito tied up, bound and gagged as Leo and Lars douse them in gasoline. Then a hand flicks a cigarette lighter and drops it in the puddle, causing a fire that destroys the lab.

  Castor Troy: I torched all the evidence that proves you’re you, okay? So, wow! Looks like you’re gonna be in here for THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS!! Now, I have got to go. I’ve got a government job to abuse and [whispers into Archer’s ear] a lonely wife to fuck. Oh, I’m sorry…make love to! God, I miss that face!

• Foreshadowing: When Castor meets Pollux at the airfield, he says «Buddy, if I didn�t love you so damn much I’d have to kill you, bro.» Pollux dies at the hands of Archer, while Archer is wearing Castor’s face.
  • Tito declares to Archer right before the surgery, «I’ve changed my mind; this is a suicide mission.» Tragically, it does end up being fatal for him and almost fatal for Archer.
• Four Is Death: There are four characters (Castor Troy, his brother Pollux, and henchmen Leo and Lars) that are always playing an antagonistic role throughout the film. Also, Pollux, Lars, and Leo are the only other people that know Troy has Archer’s face after Lars and Leo burn the Walsh Institute and the Special Ops team in charge of the operation.
• «Freaky Friday» Flip: The main setup for the plot, except Archer and Castor’s faces and voices are swapped, not the minds, but the effect is the same.
• Game of Chicken: Sean Archer attempts to do this with the airplane Castor Troy is on, much to Tito’s chagrin. At least the former is able to get out of the way before the airplane hits them both.

  Tito: Goddamn it! Don’t play chicken with the goddamn jet!

• Glasses Pull: Castor Troy loves pulling his shades off in dramatic ways, especially when he’s posing as Archer.
• Good Is Boring: «Ahhh, yes. The eternal battle between good and evil, saint and sinners… but you’re still not having any FUN!»
• Good Versus Good: Archer-as-Castor finds himself in this situation during the apartment shootout as in addition to dealing with his own pursuit of Castor Troy, he has to deal with being shot at by the very FBI agents he is supposed to be working with.
• Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Castor curses like a sailor but oddly doesn’t like when other people curse at him.
• Groin Attack:
  • Archer-as-Castor gives a couple in the prison breakout.
  • At the end, Archer has Castor pinned against a wall, and tries to fire a speargun into his gut. Castor catches the bolt and starts taunting Archer, who just snaps and cuts him off with a knee to the balls, causing Castor to lose his grip on the bolt and get impaled.
  • Which combines with a glorious Shut Up, Hannibal! when, after Archer knees Castor, he screams «DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!!» as the harpoon runs him through.
  • Jamie’s boyfriend gets the receiving end of this when Castor beats him up.

• Guns Akimbo: Archer and Castor on multiple occasions. Again, it’s John Woo.
• Ham-to-Ham Combat: For most of the film, Castor Troy is John Travolta pretending to be Nicolas Cage pretending to be Travolta, while Sean Archer is Nicolas Cage pretending to be John Travolta pretending to be Cage. It’s just as glorious as it sounds.
• Harpoon Gun: What is used to defeat Castor Troy for good.
• Heel�Face Turn: Zig-zagged with Sasha, who helps Archer and even saves both his life and his wife’s life; but thinks she’s helping Troy and fighting against Archer. Essentially, she never really switched sides, she just didn’t understand who was who.
• Heroic Bloodshed: The best-known and most-quoted example of this trope in western cinema.
• Heroic BSoD: Archer combines this with a monumental Oh, Crap! at the prison when he is told he has a visitor. He goes to the visitor’s room. The door opens, and in walks Castor Troy wearing Archer’s old face, casually revealing that he’s killed the surgeon who did the surgeries and then burned down the building to destroy all evidence of the switch.
• Hero Insurance: Archer commits a number of felonies while undercover as Castor. This includes though isn’t limited to killing a couple guards and jailbreak. Here it’s justified though as the only people to learn he’s been disguised as Castor were his FBI colleagues, who wouldn’t tell, so all this can be blamed on Castor (and he had little choice to stop Castor).
• Hired to Hunt Yourself: A twist variant: upon taking Archer’s face, Castor is hunting «himself» (actually Archer).
• Hollywood Autism: Pollux Troy is said to have a high IQ and is very skilled at building things, but he has No Social Skills and struggles with any task that doesn’t involve creating weapons of mass destruction.
• Hollywood Tactics: The police tactics during the raid on Dietrich’s place are not something normal cops would do. It’s unlikely that even trained FBI or municipal cops would ever fire first on suspects without any visible threat, and the raid depicts them as more of trigger happy assassins than cops. Yes, they’re taking orders from Castor Troy, who wouldn’t be versed at all in police tactics, but the highly trained cops should have better discipline. Somewhat lampshaded in the next scene when Lazarro confronts Castor and says there are concerns about the constitutionality of his «Gestapo tactics».
• Hope Spot: Archer smirks when the guard announces that he has a visitor in Erehwon after having extracted the location of the bomb from Pollux. Then the visitor turns out to be Castor, wearing his face, here to gloat about how he’s killed everyone who knows about Archer’s surgery.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Castor’s butterfly knife technique is used against him by Archer’s daughter.
• Husky Russkie: Ivan Dubov.
• Hypocritical Humor: «You watch your fuckin’ mouth!» is one of Castor’s most common catchphrases.
• I’ll Kill You!: Although he doesn’t say it, Archer’s scream at Castor, «DIE!» while strangling him indicates that’s what he’ll do to him if the latter tries to ruin his life using his face.
• I Call It «Vera»: Castor has a big bomb. Her name is «Sinclaire,» and she is going to blow you AWAY!!
• I Surrender, Suckers: Castor pretends to surrender to Archer in the hangar standoff when it turns out Archer was bluffing him about his pistol having one bullet left. As he’s breaking down, with Archer’s pistol pressed to his forehead, he suddenly grins and replies «Well, I think you’d better pull the trigger, ’cause I don’t give a fuck! [sings] I’m ready, ready for the big ride, baby!» and it turns out the whole time that he’s been secretly drawing a knife from his back pocket. The trick fails to work on Archer, who catches it just in time.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: This is how Castor Troy dies at the end of the movie, courtesy of a spear gun.
• Impersonating an Officer: Plastic surgery allows Castor to spend much of his time impersonating Archer.
• Imposter Forgot One Detail: Because of how different Archer’s FBI job is from Castor’s criminal lifestyle, both Archer and Castor at several points come narrowly close to slipping their identities away.
  • Castor comes dangerously close to giving himself away as an impostor on at least three occasions:
    • When he meets Jamie for the first time, he mistakenly calls her «Janie» (and one will notice that he refers to her by that name in the hangar standoff). She is understandably not pleased to find that Castor has «forgotten» her name, and Castor hastily looks at a bed pillow with Jamie’s name on it before replying, «I don’t think you heard me, Jamie. You got something that I crave.» Castor also smokes, while Archer doesn’t.

    Jamie Archer: Clarissa left those here.
    Castor Troy: Oh, well I won’t tell mom if you don’t. [He lights a cigarette]
    Jamie Archer: When did you start smoking?
    Castor Troy: You’ll be seeing a lot of changes around here. [blows smoke rings in Jamie’s face] Papa’s got a brand new bag! OW! [Jamie laughs. Castor slowly walks out of the room singing along to the music]

    • Castor uses Archer’s job to cut a «deal» with Pollux to get him out of prison. The real Archer is shown to be a tough cop who never cuts any plea bargains with suspects, and certainly not with the brother of his sworn enemy. Lazarro is quick to call Castor out on this. Castor narrowly dodges a bullet by replying, «Well, when all else fails, fresh tactics!»
    • Castor sees Pollux die in front of him, and understandably he breaks down in tears, and puts a gun to his head. Then Loomis sees him and says, «Sir why are you so upset? It’s just Pollux Troy.» Castor shoots Loomis in the face.
    • Ultimately, Castor’s unorthodox tactics get Lazarro even more suspicious of him. Enough that Castor is forced to kill him when he gets too close to the son.
  • Archer nearly gives away he’s just impersonating Castor on a couple of occasions:
    • This starts as early as the moment he is dumped in jail and he recognizes an inmate he put away, and almost forgets he’s not supposed to answer to the name of Sean Archer.
    • When speaking with Pollux, one notices that Archer is rather hesitant and a bit quieter when talking, probably because he knows he has to be extra careful not to say something that could blow his cover.
    • Archer is not used to the drugs that Castor normally takes, so when he takes drug-laced water at Dietrich’s place, his body rejects it.
  • When Archer breaks back into his house to reach out to his wife, she (not knowing about the switch) understandably freaks out as she thinks she’s face to face with the man who killed their son.
• Indy Ploy: Archer staging a jailbreak, while having no clear plan and improvising on the spot to new developments.
• Innocently Insensitive: An interesting example of someone being insensitive to the villain. After the shootout at Dietrich’s, Agent Loomis asks Castor why he’s so upset about the death of the terrorist Pollux Troy, not realizing that (due to the plastic surgery) he’s talking to Pollux’s brother.
• Intoxication Ensues: You can tell that Archer’s obviously not used to the drugs he has to take to maintain his impersonation of Castor…

  Sean Archer: I want to take his face…off!

  Dietrich: [copying the gesture] The face…..off. [Archer collapses on a bed] No more drugs for that man.

• Janitor Impersonation Infiltration: Upon learning of Castor and Pollux chartering a plane, Archer has an undercover female agent, Winters, put on the plane posing as a flight attendant. Which doesn’t end well for Winters.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • While Archer is a little overboard criticizing the people for celebrating his original defeat of Castor Troy, he is right to point out that the people that were killed in the shootout are more deserving of the toast than him.
  • Likewise, one sees that Archer clearly has some points about being reluctant to undergo a surgery giving him Castor’s face. His point being that there are a number of ways in which such an undercover operation could be bungled, like Castor coming out of his coma.
• Joggers Find Death: If you freeze-frame when Archer logs onto his computer, you’ll see that the first thing that comes up is a summary report on one of Castor Troy’s earlier crimes. The details as gleaned from the file note that Castor hijacked a wealthy Swiss banker’s private jet for $5 million in funds, tortured said banker by amputating both of his arms, before shooting him in the face with his own gun and tossing his remains out of the plane, where the body was found by a jogger in a local park.
• Juxtaposed Halves Shot: The posters/covers juxtapose three quarters of both Nicolas Cage’s and John Travolta’s faces using shadows to split them down the middle, highlighting that both actors play Sean Archer and both play Castor Troy, also averts Misplaced-Names Poster.
• Knight in Sour Armor: When his fellow agents congratulate Archer after he catches Troy, Archer takes a minute to point out several other agents were killed in the process.
• Large Ham: Nicolas Cage and John Travolta spend the movie trying to top each other as both Castor and Archer. Both succeed.
• Leitmotif: Archer’s whole family has one.
• Letting the Air out of the Band: When the plane starts careening towards the hangar, Castor shuts down the throttles and the music slows down until the aircraft crashes through the windows.
• Longer-Than-Life Sentence: It’s hard to tell whether or not it’s mocking hyperbole, but when Castor arrives to Erewhon Prison wearing Archer’s face and confronts him, he’s way too proud that Archer will be taking the fall for Castor’s crimes and spending the next hundred years locked up.
• Magic Plastic Surgery: One of the crowning examples. They do at least have the decency to point out it’s a very specialized and advanced technique. Cutting edge, even.
• Make It Look Like an Accident: Castor strikes Lazarro in the chest hard enough to stun him, then restricts his throat while he’s on the ground until he suffocates and claims it was cardiac arrest later.
• Married to the Job: Archer, who has completely destroyed his family life and probably only has one man he can call friend (and he gets killed early in the movie) within the Bureau because of his obsession to arrest Castor Troy.
• Meaningful Name: Pollux and Castor Troy are named for the Gemini twins in Classical Mythology, the brothers of Helen of Troy. Castor also shares his name with a type of legume people often mistake for being some form of bean. Just by donning Archer’s face, Castor is able to fool everyone into thinking he’s the good guy.
• M�l�e � Trois: The climactic Mexican Standoff is split into six sides.
• Mexican Standoff: A very masterful one of these goes down in the church near the end of the movie. It ends in a Blast Out. Castor even lampshades the number of participants, laughing, «WHEE! What a predicament!»
• Mole in Charge: After Castor kills Lazarro, Castor becomes the new FBI Director.
• Mood Whiplash: The movie’s tones are all over the place.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After the standoff with both Archer and Castor, and the ensuing hostage situation, Jamie runs to her mother, regretting having accidentally shot her father in the confusion of the moment.
  • Castor also appears to have this expression after he realizes he’s shot Michael,
• My Sister Is Off-Limits: Immediately upon entry into Erewhon Prison, Archer gets beaten up by Russian inmate Ivan Dubov, who has sought revenge against Castor ever since Castor had three-way sex with Dubov’s wife and sister. Later inverted, when Archer recruits Dubov to help him escape by telling him he didn’t actually do it.
• Never Found the Body: Castor Troy is told that Archer has escaped from prison and is presumed deceased.

  Castor Troy: Where’s his body? I want to see his body.

  Wanda: It hasn’t been recovered yet.

  Castor Troy: [angrily] «It hasn’t been recovered yet»?! [beat] Get the LAPD on this!

  Wanda: Even if he is alive, Castor isn’t stupid enough to come back to this city!

  Castor Troy: You-you must trust me. He’s already here.

• No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup: Averted with face replacements. Even though the doctor who originally performed the procedure is dead, the FBI has some of their best doctors flown in to reverse it on Archer.
• Noodle Incident: Why Dubov is in prison is never revealed (although he was in the same circles as the Troy brothers).
• Not-So-Badass Longcoat: When Castor arrives at the airport to meet Pollux at the beginning of the film, the 3/4 length suit coat he wears is close to, but not quite, a Badass Longcoat. Instead of being an important part of his wardrobe, he takes it off and switches it out for a standard suit coat. Although the coat is used for Dramatic Wind during its brief time on screen, it is not used with regard to the equally important element of Hammerspace.
• Obvious Stunt Double: John Woo’s love of slow-motion makes these instances very apparent, as what would usually be a quick shot with a lot of movement to hide the fact that it’s not the lead actors now becomes a very clear shot of the double…. Most apparent one happens as Archer and Troy fall off the boat in the climax.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Archer, wearing Castor’s face, is told he has a visitor at the prison. He is in the visitor’s room, the door opens, and he comes face-to-face with….Castor Troy, wearing Archer’s old face. To drive the point home, we have Archer just staring straight on for about 30 seconds, thinking «What?» as Castor smirks, then cockily strides towards Archer, and breaks into a grin:

    Castor Troy: Whoooo-wheeee, you’re good lookin’! Ya hot! [He advances on Archer] It’s like looking in a mirror, only not. [beat]

    Sean Archer: Troy?

    Sean Archer: But you were—were, uh…

    Castor Troy: In a coma? Nothing like having your face cut off to disturb your sleep! Read the newspaper lately? [flashes a newspaper article in the real Archer’s face headlined «Deadly Inferno at Walsh Institute» with Dr. Walsh’s picture]

    Sean Archer: You killed them?

    Castor Troy: Yeah, well, beats paying the bill, huh? Come on, uh, if a face lift costs five grand… [shows Archer’s wedding ring on his hand and shouts] See anything you like?! [cut to Tito bound, gagged, and being doused in gasoline]

    Sean Archer: Tito! [A hand flicks a cigarette lighter and drops it in a puddle of gasoline, sparking a fire that spreads towards the hostages]

    Castor Troy: I torched all the evidence that proves you’re you, okay? So, wow! [looks at his watch] Looks like you’re going to be in here for [in na-na voice] THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS! [quietly] Now, I have got to go. I’ve got a government job to abuse and [whispers into Archer’s ear] a lonely wife to fuck. Oh, I’m sorry, make love to! God, I miss that face!

  • The look on Castor and Archer’s faces when they simultaneously realize the boat they are fighting on is about to violently crash.
  • In the plane chase, Archer sees Castor march his undercover agent into the cabin and cock the pistol he has trained to the back of her head, leading to a genuine moment of shock as he yells, «He’s got Winters, goddamnit!» Then Archer swings around the plane and begins to pull up alongside the wing, when the cabin door opens and Castor pushes Winters out in front of him.

    Castor Troy: One of yours, Sean?!

    [beat. Castor shoots her in the back]

    Sean Archer: Shit!

• Outrun the Fireball: Archer does this near the end of the apartment battle when Loomis fires several grenades at him.
• Papa Wolf: Ironically, Castor and Archer play this on each other’s child. Castor beats up the boyfriend trying to rape Jamie in his car in Castor’s driveway. Meanwhile Archer finds out that Castor has a son and Sasha is trying her best to raise Adam to avoid a criminal-free lifestyle also counts. Archer subsequently spends the shootout with Castor’s SWAT team trying to protect Adam while also trying to keep his own agents safe and taking on Castor.
• Pet the Dog:
  • The movie does emphasize after the face switches that even though Castor Troy may be a sociopath and murderer, he is a human being capable of all kinds of emotion, just like Archer. This is best seen when Castor breaks down crying after seeing Pollux die, contemplate suicide, only to be stopped when he must shoot Loomis after Loomis catches him acting out-of-character, and then tie Pollux’s untied shoelaces for the last time.
  • Also seen when Castor stops Jamie from being raped by her boyfriend in the driveway of Archer’s house. He may be «helping» by giving a teenage girl a knife without any formal training and committing grievous bodily harm but it’s still pretty heartwarming saying that an insane psychopath like Castor who does things like kill cops and plant big bombs is stopping this kind of thing.
• Police Brutality:
  • The Erewhon prison guards use far more force than is necessary, including electroshock treatment on prisoners as punishment, which the head guard at least clearly enjoys.
  • Castor, disguised as Archer, leads FBI agents in opening fire on Dietrich’s penthouse with no attempt to announce themselves or arrest them. Legally, this is attempted murder, and Director Lazarro is outraged by this afterward, calling it «Gestapo tactics».
    • Really, even taking into accout that it’s Troy-as-Archer leading them, the agents raiding the penthouse appear to give zero fucks about limiting any potential collateral damage and just shoot the place silly. At least two unarmed hangers-on die in the crossfire.
• Porn Stache: Castor Troy sports a thick mustache in the opening flashback as he smokes a cigarette and sets his sights on the carousel horse Archer is riding on with his son. It’s obviously a false clip-on being used as a disguise, given that Castor is clean-shaven whenever his police mugshot is shown.
• Prison Riot: Archer starts one in Erehwon to escape it after he finds out that Castor has taken over his life.
• Psychotic Smirk: In order to stay in character, Archer does one while he is Castor and while he’s drunk shown in this scene. Castor himself is fond of using these while posing as Archer.
• Pun-Based Title: The title refers both to the fact that Archer and Castor’s faces are removed and switched, and that they are moving towards an eventual face off against each other.
• Punny Name: Castor and Pollux Troy. In Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux were twin brothers of Helen of Troy. Additionally, they form the Gemini constellation, which is on the opposite side of the night sky from Sagittarius the Archer.
• Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Subverted. Castor Troy beats up Jamie’s boyfriend when the guy tries to rape the girl in his own driveway, apparently because the attempt disgusts even him. However, the rest of the film strives to portray him as a Hypocrite. Earlier in the film he gropes a blonde choir girl to «Hallelujah», and insinuates a rape threat on Jamie to Archer’s face during hangar standoff («Say, how is your daughter, anyway? Your… your darling Jamie, your little peach? Is she ripe? Ri-ripe-ripe-ri RIPE!!»). Later on he also licks Jamie’s face while holding a pistol to her head to taunt Archer (while Jamie thinks he’s her father because he’s wearing Archer’s face, no less).
• Redemption Equals Death: Sasha (in a roundabout manner; she died trying to save Archer from Castor, but she thought she was doing the opposite, although her last words were still to speak out in favor of her son having a different life).
• Red Shirt Army: The police during the shootout at the airport — both cops and FBI. It’s almost as if Archer is the only one capable of taking on Castor Troy without receiving a bullet trying to. Same for the shootout at Dietrich’s place.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Castor and Pollux.
• Relative Button: As if Castor killing Archer’s son during a botched hit wasn’t bad enough, he then has to throw in a rape threat towards Archer’s daughter Jamie during his standoff with Castor. Archer reacts as pissed off as you’d expect.
• Replacement Goldfish: Archer sees a lot of his son Michael in Castor’s son Adam.
• Same Language Dub: Justified. After the plastic surgery is over, Archer has Castor’s face but still has his native nasal voice. The surgery by itself doesn’t change Archer’s voice. To make sure Archer has Castor’s natural husky voice, Dr. Walsh implants a microchip in his larynx, then has Archer listen to some audiotapes of Castor to train his voice.
• Sanity Slippage: Archer struggles to keep his sanity while wearing Castor’s face. For Castor, not so much, as he’s already pretty psychotic even before taking Archer’s face.
• Sarcastic Clapping: Lars and Leo abduct Dr. Walsh and transport him to the Walsh Institute, where they find the faceless Castor sitting in a chair, watching the video recording of the surgery (according to the script, the surgery was recorded so that Dr. Walsh could undo Archer’s surgery) and listening to classical music:

  Dr. Malcolm Walsh: What’s this about?

  Castor Troy: Dr. Walsh! I was just enjoying some of your, uh, greatest hits here. Oh, and I hope you don’t mind. I partook in some of your, uh, your groovy painkillers. You know, this is fabulous work. This is… [sees the surgery videotape finish] Bravo! Bra-fucking-vo! [claps] Oh, god, this is excellent! Bravo!

  Dr. Malcolm Walsh: What do you want? [beat]

  Castor Troy: [claps his hands three times. Castor’s skinless face is reflected in Dr. Walsh’s glasses] Take one goddamn guess.

• Screams Like a Little Girl: Castor, when he awakens from his coma and finds that his face has been removed.
• Self-Plagiarism:
  • During their stand-off, Castor tries to shoot Archer, only to realise that his gun is empty. A similar scene happed in Woo’s Hard Boiled.
  • The boat chase climax was originally planned for Woo’s Hard Target.
  • Woo’s The Killer also had a climactic shoot-out in a church, complete with the trademark doves.
• Sexless Marriage: Eve’s diary relates that she and Archer haven’t had sex in months when the film begins, as he’s always busy at work, each «date night» fizzling due to this. Castor, reading this, calls Archer a loser.
• Sexy Coat Flashing: When Castor «locates» and disarms Sinclaire, the animated graphic of a woman flashing a mink coat while audibly moaning, «Oh baby, oh!» plays over the words ‘You disarmed me!’
• Sharp-Dressed Man: John Travolta, whether playing Archer or Castor, spends most of his time wearing three piece suits. Cage also sports some nice clothes.
• Siblings in Crime: Castor and Pollux Troy appear to work together as this trope, based on a police file at the beginning that states that the two together are suspected of assassinating a Croatian ambassador (it reads «Number of hits suggests that Troy had a second shooter; possibly his younger brother Pollux»).
• Sneeze of Doom: Averted. After the surgery, Archer is warned by Dr. Walsh to be careful with the voice modification chip in his larynx that scrambles frequencies and transforms Archer’s voice into Castor’s voice, as a sharp blow or a violent sneeze could dislodge it, but it never happens (it does get dislodged near the end, but not by sneeze).
• Shoot the Dog: Castor shoots at Sasha for harboring Archer, though Dietrich intercepts the bullet.
• Shout-Out:
  • The scene of a plane crashing head-on through a glass window looks familiar.
  • At one point during the prison escape, Archer hides behind boxes with the word «Ingen» on them. «Ingen» also means «no one» in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.
  • The magnetic clamp boots that the prisoners wear look like the boots worn by the Goombas in Super Mario Bros. (1993).
  • Archer defeats Castor Troy by impaling him with a spear gun.
• Signature Style: It’s a John Woo movie. Therefore, the question is not a matter of asking, «Will the lead actors fire Guns Akimbo while flying through the air?» but «When will the lead actors fire Guns Akimbo while flying through the air?» This is answered within the first fifteen minutes, as Castor and Archer do fire twin pistols at each other during the hangar shootout.
• Slasher Smile:
  • Archer-as-Castor makes one◊ HELL of a Slasher Smile after taking drugs while seeking refuge at Dietrich’s apartment and having a panic attack upon seeing his own reflection in the mirror.
  • The look on Castor Troy’s face when he herds Agent Winters into the cockpit of his plane with a pistol to the back of her head for Archer to see before executing her. He also has a pretty unsettling one when he’s cutting his forehead and cheeks with a piece of shrapnel before Archer is able to impale him with the harpoon gun.
• Soft Water: Archer jumps from the helipad of the oil rig into the sea, to no ill effect. In bare feet, no less.
• Something Only They Would Say: Archer has failed in all prior attempts to convince his wife that Castor has taken his face. Until Archer reminisces over their first date, at which point she knows it’s really him because that’s a story they share and Castor couldn’t possibly know.
• Soundtrack Dissonance: «Somewhere over the Rainbow» plays over the gunfight in Dietrich’s place. Bonus points: It’s the version sung by Olivia Newton-John, who starred opposite Travolta once upon a time. It corresponds with Diegetic Switch, as the song is playing over Adam’s headphones while he’s being carried to safety during the apartment gunfight. An interesting example, actually, as the movie intends you hear the sound from Adam’s perspective, with the music playing much louder than the muffled shouts and gunshots.
• Stock Scream: One of the guards gives a Howie Scream during the jailbreak.
• Stuff Blowing Up: The boat chase at the end. The rule of thumb here is: if a boat comes into the frame, it will blow up during the next 15 seconds.
• Taking the Bullet: Sasha does this for Eve during the final battle in the church.
• Tear Off Your Face: Archer and Castor, for contrived reasons, end up surgically switching faces (and taking each other’s places). After Castor wakes up and before he receives Archer’s face (off-screen), he is shown walking around without a face (just barely; it’s limited to a couple of seconds of his face reflected in Dr. Walsh’s glasses and a couple very quick direct shots when he’s clapping after watching the videotape of the surgery; otherwise, we only see him from behind or his shadow on the side of a wall).
• Terrorists Without a Cause: Castor Troy refers to himself as a «freelance terrorist», while Pollux later mentions the pair were hired by some «militia nuts» to plant a bomb (which it’s revealed was for assassinating three US Supreme Court Justices), but his motivation clearly boils down to For the Evulz. Money isn’t his main objective. In the novelization he’s a former CIA agent using his skills for this purpose.
• Third-Person Person: Archer-as-Castor, freshly arrived in the prison, recognizes another inmate he put away on a different case and has to refer to himself in the third person to narrowly avoid giving away his true identity.
• This Is for Emphasis, Bitch!: FLY, BITCH!
• Title Drop: «Face off» is uttered several times in the movie.
• Too Dumb to Live: Dr. Walsh not having anybody to watch over Castor Troy while in his coma. Or putting heavily armed guards around Castor’s bed. Or even using soft restraints to keep his arms secured to the bed. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?. It’s kinda karmic that he’s the first person Castor has killed, along with Archer’s handler and best friend, upon getting Archer’s old face grafted onto Castor, who then burns down the facility to cover his tracks.
• Trapped Undercover: Archer for most of the film — stuck with Castor Troy’s face, everyone who knew about his mission dead, and the real Castor Troy having assumed his identity!
• Verbal Backspace: Archer nearly blows his cover on his first day in prison when he recognizes another inmate he busted on an unrelated case.

  Burke Hicks: What’s the matter, pal? Dontcha remember the little people? [Archer turns to Hicks]
  Sean Archer: Burke Hicks.
  Burke Hicks: Yes.
  Sean Archer: I bust——-I believe Sean Archer busted you for stalking the UN Secretary General.
  Burke Hicks: Oh, no, Archer framed me! I had nothing to do with that. Word was you got wasted.

• Uncertain Doom:
  • The thug in the white pants and the one in the red jacket aren’t explicitly killed in the penthouse shootout, although the man in red is last seen either falling or jumping, and a figure with white pants and similar boots is seen sprawled across a table, although without clear injuries, in the background of one scene (although his face isn’t in focus).
  • Deitrich’s crony Aldo and escort Livia are both shot in the penthouse shootout, but Livia is still concious and clutching her stomach after being shot and Aldo remains standing as the camera cuts away, leaving their fates slightly ambiguous.
• Villain of Another Story: Burke Hicks could have been the Big Bad of a slightly different movie, as he once stalked the U.N. Secretary General before The Hero arrested him, is familiar with international terrorist Castor Troy, and is played by Thomas Jane. However, he spends the entire movie locked up in a shady Black Site that he has no inclination to risk trying to escape from, and is friendly with the undercover Archer due to never suspecting his real identity.
• Villainous Valor: In the penthouse raid scene there’s plenty of this. Dietrich stands in plain sight firing his shotgun at invading cops. A thug in a red jacket is seen trying to get the two hanger-ons to safety. One or two thugs briefly shields Archer, Sasha and Adam. And one of the gangsters (whose easy to keep track of from his white pants) goes absolutely ham with Guns Akimbo on the agents dropping through the skylight.
• We Can Rule Together: During their fight at the hangar, Castor tries to goad Archer by stating, «Why don’t you come with us? Try terrorism-for-hire. We’ll blow some shit up! It’s more fun!» Of course, Archer is not swayed.
• We Need a Distraction: The original script had Archer getting into his house in a different way: in the script, he uses a trashcan to break the window of a sporting goods store, inciting some teenagers to loot the store. When a police officer arrives, Archer uses the cop’s tear gas can on him, then steals his police car. Upon encountering a police roadblock, he gets rid of the roadblock by using his own security code to report a false sighting of himself to the police dispatcher.
• We Will Not Use Stage Makeup In The Future: The transplant procedure.
• Wet Blanket Wife:
  • Eve Archer is one of those «you promised to quit after one last job» types of wives. What makes this example particularly strange is that not only does she seem to show no interest in helping Archer bring Castor Troy to justice, but Archer doesn’t even try to explain to her that there’s a chemical bomb threatening to be set off in their city (though one figures that Archer probably didn’t want to scare her… although he could have just not explicitly said what Castor was up to beyond a vague «Castor Troy set something up and it’ll still happen whether or not he’s in a coma» kind of explanation, or told her what he was really doing and a code phrase only he knows that would allow her to tell if he’d been replaced). In the end, the movie just sets up Archer as a workaholic cop with a distant marriage and expects it to fly. So when Castor takes over Archer’s identity, he is quick to exploit the distanced marriage.

    Castor Troy: [reading Eve’s journal] «Date night. Fizzled again. We haven’t made love in two months.» What a loser…

  • Subverted with Sasha, who Castor seems to view as a wet-blanket type, but turns out to be more than capable with a gun during the shootout with Castor’s SWAT teams.
• What Happened to the Mouse?:
  • Dr. Walsh’s surgical staff aren’t killed along with him, Tito and Miller but are never considered by either Archer or Castor as being able to expose the truth.
  • During the attack on Castor’s gangs hideout, Cindee, one of Dietrich’s hanger-ons, is last seen fleeing up some stairs about midway through the shootout then disappears (although since everyone else who died gets their deaths shown whether Archer is near them or not, she presumably survived).
• What Measure Is a Mook?: Frequent later on, when Archer becomes very friendly with Dietrich and his friends. Bonus points when it turns out Castor’s biological son Adam is being raised by said «bad guys», as well as Castor having them all killed in a staged FBI bust so that he can get back at Archer.
• With This Ring:
  • Castor taunts Archer at the prison with his own wedding ring. Archer does not take it easily given that it indicates that Castor has killed Tito (and everyone else who know about the plan).

    Castor Troy: See anything you LIKE?!

  • At the end, while in the ambulance, Archer quickly slips his ring off Castor’s limp left hand.
• Worthy Opponent: Castor seems to have some weird level of respect for Archer.
• Would Hurt a Child: Though Castor Troy didn’t intend to kill Archer’s son in the carousel sniping instead of Archer, he’s not really remorseful either, only looking bored when he attends Michael’s grave with Eve. Plus, he is perfectly willing to aim a pistol at Sasha while his own child is in her arms (although there is no evidence that Castor knew Adam was his son). Heck, it’s possible Castor might have been trying to hit Adam on purpose if he wasn’t trying to off Sasha for talking to Archer. He’d also planted a chemical WMD to level Los Angeles, which certainly would have killed lots of children.
  • This trope also seems to apply to most of the FBI agents, who freely empty round after round in the direction of Castor’s son.
• Would You Like to Know How They Died?: Upon getting Archer’s face, Castor decides to visit Archer in prison and reveal just what he did to everyone who knows about the switcheroo. By the time he’s boasting of his plans to take over Archer’s career, Archer is holding back the urge to vomit.
• You Taste Delicious: After Jamie inadvertently shoots her own father in his shoulder in the church standoff when provoked by Castor, Castor grabs her, holds a pistol to her head, and in his gleeful way, says «Now let’s see what’s really in papa’s bag: peaches!» and licks the side of her cheek, no doubt to taunt Archer. Given Castor has Archer’s real face, this inexplicable sexual assault by the person whom she thinks at the moment is her father only further confuses and traumatizes her. But before Castor can then shoot her, Jamie stabs him in his right knee with the butterfly knife he gave her, just like he taught her.

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