The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Starring Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Tiffany Haddish
Directed by Tom Gormican
At one point in time, Nicolas Cage was the most sought-after action actor in Hollywood, as well as being one of the most respected dramatic actors of the time. He even earned an Academy Award for his performance in "Leaving Las Vegas," as well as several other accolades. Appearing in memorable films like "The Rock," "Con Air," and "Face/Off," Cage had everything going for him, until they didn't. Soon Cage was relegated to the likes of fellow former Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and appeared in several direct-to-home media lackluster films, yet also gained a cult following due to his erratic and eccentric, over-the-top behavior in his films. Hidden gems like "Mandy," "Color Out of Space," and "Mom and Dad" littered the direct-home landscape, and it seemed that his major big-screen movie days were over (save for animated films like "Into the Spider-Verse" and "The Croods"), but - like all great actors - a resurgence was on the way, and that resurgence began with the film "Pig." While people thought it would be another wacky Cage adventure where he seeks revenge against those who stole his truffle pig, it actually was a deeply emotional, dramatic picture about love, loss, and coping with the mistakes of the past. Cage's performance was hailed and was a strong contender for an Oscar nomination, but it wasn't meant to be. Following the critical success of "Pig," Cage finally made his return to the big screen in person with "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent," a film that only Cage could pull off - because it was Nicolas Cage playing a fictitious, over-the-top Nicolas Cage while also providing a fun action buddy-comedy akin to Cage's previous prestigious work.
Nicolas Cage (Nicolas Cage) is on the downward spiral of his career, as he can't find any decent work in awhile. Not only that, but his relationship with his sixteen-year-old daughter Addy (Lily Sheen) is deeply frayed from years of him trying to indoctrinate her to his way of living, continuously angering his ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Horgan). After losing another movie deal, his agent (Neil Patrick Harris) finds him another gig - a million dollars for appearing at the birthday party of billionaire Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). Reluctant, Cage agrees to go, and finds Javi charming, fun, and obsessed over him, and the two become fast friends. Then Cage is abducted by CIA agents Vivian (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin (Ike Barinholtz) and they inform him that Javi is a ruthless drug lord who kidnapped the daughter of an anti-crime politician. Cage goes undercover to find the girl while believing Javi isn't the man they say he is.
"The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" was a huge gamble for Nicolas Cage, and it paid off in dividends. It could've been seen as a hackneyed ploy to appear more meta and the continuous nods to his previous work could've been seen as self-serving, but somehow not only did director/writer Tom Gormican avoided those pitfalls, he managed to craft something entirely magical. More than just a film about a down-and-out actor in his attempt to make a comeback (although he was never really gone), more than a buddy comedy, more than an action spectacle, and much more than the sum of its parts, "Talent" forms a mosaic tapestry of Nicolas Cage's work into a story that's equal parts comedic, compelling, and surprisingly nuanced and emotional.
The overlying theme of the film is Nicolas Cage and his desire to remain a star, and not merely an actor, which is portrayed over and over by his "demon" on his shoulder, a younger form of himself he calls Nicky, who in the credits is listed as Nicolas Cage's birth name - Nicolas Kim Coppola (he's the nephew of acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola) - who constantly reminds him that he's "NICOLAS F*&)#(&% CAGE! - and pushes him not to retire from acting when his last opportunity falls apart. As Cage's adventure continues, there's parallels (subtly and not-so-subtly) to his previous works, paying homage to the truly versatile work Cage has done in his stellar career. Yet this isn't to puff up his ego, but done so in a very organic way that serves to push the story forward.
The story itself is a shining example to how versatile and talented Nicolas Cage really is, as it begins with a family drama where he tries to connect to his daughter despite living in his own headspace, to a buddy-comedy duo who take LSD in order to write the perfect screenplay, to spy espionage thriller and finally an action epic filled with intense car chases and shootouts. Again, if done by any other actor, this would've been seen as campy and silly, but there's something about Nicolas Cage that makes it feel wholly believable and enjoyable from start to finish.
Nicolas Cage obviously pulls off a great performance here as an over-the-top version of himself, and he's one of the rare actors (along with the likes of Keanu Reeves) where pretty much nobody hates him, but he has this effortless charm that makes him relatable and someone you'd love to have a drink with sometime. Pedro Pascal serves as all us fans who want to make that wish a reality, and he plays the eccentric superfan with perfection. He's got a constant smile on his face when he's around Cage without being overbearing, and their pairing is pitch perfection -a bromance for the ages, and giving us all hope that we can find our own best friend someday. Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz also perform admirably as the CIA agents who also serve to expand on Cage's career, as Haddish's Vivian mentions "The Croods 2" while Ike's Martin talks about "Face/Off" and "Con Air." Even Cage's fictionalized family - the always amazing Sharon Horgan and Lily Sheen (daughter of Michael Sheen and Kate Beckinsale) - perform to their strengths, making you really believe they're a part of Nicolas Cage's real-life antics.
Not only does the film hit on the action, drama and comedy, but it also slides in a secret message as to the universality of film and its inter-connectivity to our lives as a whole. During his speech at his party, Pascal's Javi tells the story of him and his estranged father who could never agree on anything - except for how great the film "Guarding Tess" was. This brought the two together in ways that nothing else could, and gave him closure during his father's final days. While it was told for comedy, there's sometimes truth in comedy, and that truth is the idea that film can bring people together in ways nothing else can, and can also provide a sense of comfort in troubling times - as silly as it sounds. And silly as it sounds, "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" is the comeback Nicolas Cage needed, even though he never went anywhere, and pulls out all the stops to provide viewers - especially Cage-aholics - with the fan service they deserve.
The Score: A+
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