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He’s back, not that he went anywhere – Tom Gormican took all of Nicolas Cage’s roles, mixed them into one character, and gave the part back to Nicolas Cage, bringing forth the worst and biggest dream of many fans at the same time.
If there is an actor in Hollywood as divisive as Zack Snyder is among the directors, it is without a doubt Nicolas Cage. The actor started his career 40 years ago, and during these years he has not only discovered his own strengths and weaknesses, but transformed himself into a real meme among film enthusiasts. “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” celebrates this four-decade long road of becoming a cult actor, with Nicolas Cage starring as himself, the movie star, the thespian.
Cage is desperately looking for his next role. He spends his days estranged from his fictional family, in alcohol-induced daydreaming. With his debts getting out of hand, he has to take a birthday gig in Mallorca to make ends meet, where he meets Javi (Pedro Pascal), not only a crazy fan and aspiring filmmaker, but a dangerous weapon dealer based on the CIA’s informations, who is currently holding the daughter of the Catalonian president as hostage. This unusual situation gives room for both humour and drama, and this duality appears several times throughout the film.
The protagonist of the movie is the Nick, who considers himself an actor, who does what he does for art’s sake. Inside him resides younger Nicky, the star, the alter ego embodying Cage’s roles in typical action flicks. Nicolas Cage’s personal crisis is not only shown through his character – and his co-written script with Javi -, but in the film’s rhythm, as it slowly turns from a humorous character drama into an actual action movie by the final scenes, shot in Buda Castle.
It’s actually incredible, but despite the glorification and overuse of Cage‘s career, the story works well. Of course, there is no shortage of corny one-liners, cheesy dialogues and dad jokes, and they are not always handled well – but this can hardly be considered as a failure in this unusually biographical adventure.
What really makes the weight of eulogizing Nicolas Cage bearable, is the wonderful chemistry between him and Pedro Pascal. Their scenes are almost always entertaining, whether they are trying to get out of unimaginable situations or playing out the drama of a long-time fan and the struggling actor.
As impressive their performance is, as emarrassing is everyone else’s, which becomes quite visible in the film’s weak second half. However, things are wrapped up nicely in the end, giving an honorable farewell to the summary of Nicolas Cage’s past in Hollywood.
The only thing that is surprising about “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is the fact, that it works. It uses everything that is Cage, and it still manages to keep its humor and drama in balance, and all in all, its heart is in the right place. Nicolas Cage said he will not watch the film because his character does not represent who he truly is. This film is not about Nicolas Cage the man, but about the actor, who has become the favorite of many and the Antichrist for some since 1982. It’s not exceptional, it’s not catastrophic. It’s Cage.
The Review
The only thing that is surprising about "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" is the fact, that it works. It uses everything that is Cage, and it still manages to keep its humor and drama in balance, and all in all, its heart is in the right place. Nicolas Cage said he will not watch the film because his character does not represent who he truly is. This film is not about Nicolas Cage the man, but about the actor, who has become the favorite of many and the Antichrist for some since 1982. It’s not exceptional, it’s not catastrophic. It’s Cage.
