Nicolas Cage’s terribly self-aware comeback film, “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,” isn’t fairly meta sufficient to be titled “Nicolas Cage’s Extraordinarily Self-Aware Comeback Movie.” But it’s shut. The grandly epic comedy is a celebration of its star and his outstanding 40-year profession. It’s additionally a wild try to carry again a mode of an A-list-driven, thriller motion blockbuster that has largely migrated to streaming providers like Netflix up to now decade, in hopes of seeing Cage’s distinctive model of magic work another time.
If there’s any actor who can pull off being each in a senseless motion movie and an indie darling concurrently, it’s Nicolas Cage.
It’s a daring transfer, attempting to lure audiences again to theaters on the tail finish of one more Covid wave, and when mega-star-led movies have been already struggling to open massive even earlier than 2020. But “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” believes disguising itself as an indie-esque, character-driven Oscar-bait movie will enchantment to each adults and the teenage crowds. And to be truthful, if there’s any actor who can pull off being each in a senseless motion movie and an indie darling concurrently, it’s Nicolas Cage.
Cage’s profession began when he was 15 by way of a small position within the hit teen flick “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” The nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, it was the one movie (till this one) the place he was credited below his given title, Nicolas Kim Coppola. By the time he appeared in “Valley Girl” the next yr, he had modified his moniker to the now much more well-known Nicolas (or Nic) Cage.
Following Eighties movies like “The Cotton Club” and “Peggy Sue Got Married,” Cage formally hit the A-list taking part in the hapless H.I. McDunnough within the indie movie “Raising Arizona” and the romantic lead in “Moonstruck,” reverse Cher. Memorable roles adopted in “Wild at Heart” and “Red Rock West,” in addition to field workplace blockbusters like “Leaving Las Vegas,” “The Rock,” “Con Air” and “Face/Off.”
The irony is that whereas Cage starred in a single or two motion pictures a yr through the top of his profession within the 90s, he averaged seven movies each 12 months simply earlier than the Hollywood shutdown in 2020.
That prolific surge of work, whilst Cage turns into higher identified for memes than performing, drives “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.” Cage performs Nick Cage, a fictionalized model of himself. He’s a self-hating nervous wreck who can’t appear to land a task; his spouse is divorcing him, his teenage daughter can’t stand him and he’s swimming in debt following years of residing past his means. In an effort to repair his monetary issues, Cage attends the celebration of billionaire Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal), a Cage super-fan with a script he desires to the actor to star in. Unfortunately, Cage learns upon arriving that Javi is additionally a suspected drug lord who could have kidnapped a teenage lady, and a CIA operative (Tiffany Haddish) convinces Cage to do some real-world spying. (Thank heavens Cage is used to doing his personal stunts.)
These plot machinations are enjoyable, however the true pleasure of the movie is its 40 years of Nic Cage context.
These plot machinations are enjoyable, however the true pleasure of the movie is its 40 years of Nic Cage context. The film opens with a pair of characters watching an prolonged clip from “Leaving Las Vegas.” Its early scenes characteristic Cage whisper-shouting some of his well-known monologues and dropping his greatest film traces in dialog. Meanwhile, different characters argue whether or not his Nineties fare is superior to his 2000s fare or his newer work, like “The Croods.” Famous props from his movies flip up in sudden locations, and typically anticipated ones. (The movie’s Chekhov’s weapons, as an illustration, are from “Face/Off.”)
Cage understands what audiences need — a self-deprecating comeback plea — whilst he swears he by no means went wherever. He rolls with the movie because it switches from small-time introspective indie to deep household drama to a drugged-out comedy. Then the weapons and vehicles roll out, and immediately he flips to action-adventure Nic Cage with out lacking a beat. It’s virtually like he’s winking on the digicam: Get you an actor that may do all of it!
But Cage doesn’t simply play Nick Cage; he additionally performs his alter-ego (or maybe his alter-id), Nicky, a too-smoothed, CGI de-aged model of himself from “Wild at Heart.” (Nicky is credited as Nicolas Kim Coppola.) Nicky and Nick argue repeatedly, with Nicky screaming that Nick ought to solely take the mega-million blockbuster roles worthy of his pedigree, whereas Nick mutters that he’s simply an actor who desires to benefit from the craft and be pleased about the work. It’s a efficiency that delivers an entire new assortment of meme-able moments.
Cage’s bromance with Pascal’s character Javi is additionally central to the film’s magic. It’s nice to see Pascal in a task that exhibits his face; like Cage, he’s been on the blockbuster circuit because the titular (albeit helmeted) Mandalorian. Also, like Cage, he’s identified for his over-the-top moments and the memes that spring from them — google “Pascal Game of Thrones” to get a style. Pascal exhibits simply sufficient vulnerability to make it straightforward to see the mushy man beneath a hardened exterior, conserving audiences guessing if he’ll in the end flip protagonist or antagonist.
It appears unlikely that Cage’s flip as Cage will really be acknowledged by the awards exhibits, even when the advertising is already making an attempt to make that case. But as a approach to each return to the megaplex and spotlight his complete persona in a single two-hour lengthy sizzle reel, it’s a grand slam. It’s a uncommon film star who can argue they’ve been an A-list hitmaker over the course of 4 many years, however the insufferable weight of his huge expertise has by no means held Cage down.