Born Nicolas Kim Coppola in 1964, Nicolas Cage is one of the most iconic actors of the last few decades. After starring in various films in the 1980s, Cage won an Oscar for Best Actor for 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas. The 1990s were a defining point in Cage’s career, appearing in blockbusters like The Rock, Con Air, and Face/Off. Unfortunately, going into the 2000s, Cage’s career took a nosedive as he started taking roles in lesser movies. Due to his extravagant lifestyle, he owed the IRS thousands of dollars and accepted any part he could. In the mid-2000s, Cage was memed for his over-the-top performances in movies like Vampire’s Kiss and The Wicker Man. Around 2018, Cage got a script that he initially turned down because of how it poked fun at his career. However, writer-director Tom Gormican convinced him to star in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
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Synopsis
Nicolas Cage has fallen on hard times, struggling to get acting roles and having a strained relationship with his family. After a particularly embarrassing moment at a party for his daughter Addy (Lily Sheen), Cage decides he’s going to retire. That changes when his agent Richard Fink (Neil Patrick Harris) offers him a job: $1 million for a party appearance. Cage agrees and is flown out to Majorca to meet multi-billionaire and massive fan Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). Though initially annoyed, Cage starts to warm up to Javi, becoming fast friends and bonding over Paddington 2. One night, Cage is abducted by CIA agents Vivian Etten (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin Etten (Ike Barinholtz). They suspect Javi of abducting the daughter of an anti-crime politician and want Cage to investigate. He reluctantly agrees to help, though he soon learns that there’s more at stake than he initially thought.
Review
First and foremost, I’m a Nicolas Cage fan, and I think he doesn’t get enough credit for his work. To me, he’s one of those actors who can make a good movie great and a bad film watchable. Would anybody remember movies like Deadfall or The Wicker Man if Cage wasn’t in them? Thankfully, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a case where Cage makes a good movie great. This is Nicolas Cage at his best, combining his trademark manic energy with a quiet solemness for the dramatic moments. Pedro Pascal gives a scene-stealing performance as the eccentric Javi, and he has excellent chemistry with Cage. Much of the movie is a buddy movie between Cage and Pascal, and their scenes together are the highlight. After a while, you start rooting for Javi and don’t want to believe he could be the villain.
The rest of the cast all do a commendable job, Haddish and Barinholtz standing out with their great back-and-forths. Sharon Horgan is terrific as Cage’s ex-wife, trying to keep him grounded as things get more insane. Relative newcomer Lily Sheen stands out as Cage’s daughter, and I’m excited to see what she does later on. What helps the movie is its central message about wanting to stay relevant at the cost of personal matters. Throughout the film, Cage is more concerned with reclaiming his so-called Hollywood superstardom at the expense of his family life. The movie also explores how blind fandom can influence how you perceive your heroes, not realizing they’re also people. Even if you’re not a Nicolas Cage fan, you can still enjoy this as a funny and emotional buddy movie. Overall, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent will undoubtedly be one of the best movies of 2022.
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