The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: Film Review
Nicolas Cage has been a well-loved actor for a long time but the adoration for him has reached a fever pitch in recent years – so now is the perfect time for him to play himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
In Tom Gormican‘s film, the fictionalised version of Cage hasn’t made a good movie for years and is dying for a comeback. He really needs to land a part to pay off his debts and remind the world he’s still got the goods. He is also in the middle of divorcing Olivia (Sharon Horgan), the mother of his daughter Addy (Lily Sheen), both of whom he neglected as he prioritised his career over them.
Desperate for money, Cage agrees to fly to Mallorca, Spain to hang out with rich superfan Javi (Pedro Pascal). But Javi is mixed up with some bad people and so Cage is recruited by the CIA – agents Vivian (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin (Ike Barinholtz) – to get inside information about a kidnapping.
The more you know about Cage’s films, the more appreciation you’ll have for this movie because it is littered with references to his work, from clips to memorabilia and much more. The film is very meta, from how it treats Cage to its commentary on the movie industry as a whole. There are conversations about how character-driven films don’t sell and need a hook or “a trailer moment”, for example. There are a couple of cameos too, so keep an eye out for those.
I liked the concept and the fact that Cage was playing a fictionalised version of himself; one which leans into the Nicolas Cage folklore and takes inspiration from all the memes. I just didn’t care for the overall story very much. There are lots of laugh-out-loud moments (the Paddington 2 joke is the best ever!) and it is entertaining most of the time but I cared for it less and less as the film went on. The novelty definitely wore off by the final act.
I struggled to follow the kidnapping plot and keep track of who the bad guys were. The final act is very chaotic, wild and OTT and I felt ready for it to wrap up. It didn’t need to be as long as it is. One other gripe – there are moments when Cage talks to his younger self and these are hilarious but also super weird and I thought this device was used too much.
I have no complaints about Cage – he leans into the absurdity of it all and seems to be having a ball. Pascal and Horgan add a lot to the comedy aspect while Sheen is responsible for the emotional side and making Cage remember what’s important. I’ve never seen her onscreen before and I kept thinking how much she looked like her mum Kate Beckinsale!
There has been a lot of hype surrounding this film and I don’t get it. Although it has some fun moments, it’s a distinctly average action-comedy that needed to be half an hour shorter.
In cinemas from Friday 22nd April