I consider this two year period my renaissance with Nick Cage. First he recaptured my heart with his understated, yet powerful role as washed up chef in Pig. Now, in a far lesser movie, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, I have to give him a pass for humility and pure fun.
The story is mostly lame: a three hander of 1. Cage loses an important role, feels he’s washed up, and displays a derelict dad syndrome 3. Cage takes a paying birthday party invitation in Spain by a guy who wants him to star in his screenplay 3. Said birthday boy has an illicit background.
The first two parts work fairly well and they pass the laughed at least 5 times rule. And while I haven’t seen all of Cage’s movies, my long vacation since his 2006 World Trade Center performance didn’t hinder my enjoyment. Die hard fans will surely love this film.
The third section of the movie was phoned in, minor actors and implausible, yet even in this joke, Tiffany Haddish was more real here than in her depression robotic endeavor The Card Cutter. Cages’ co-lead, Pedro Pascal may be a tv star (Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian), but he does little for me here. Ditto for Cage’s wife and daughter. If you really want to do a wink wink, have the wife be half his age (enter laugh track). More formidable actors, Neil Patrick Harris and Demi Moore add tiny spice.
So while not close to terrific, I am still glad to be back on the Cage train. I look forward to what he does next.
Nick Cage: Commitment & Self-deprecation=Hall Pass
