Written by: Tom Gormican & Kevin Etten / Directed by Tom Gormican / Released in The U.K. by Lionsgate UK Ltd. / 107 Minutes
28th April 2022
Review by Rob Deb.
The Pitch: In this action-packed comedy, Nicolas Cage plays Nick Cage, channelling his iconic characters as he's caught between a superfan (Pedro Pascal) and a CIA agent (Tiffany Haddish).
The Unbearable Weight of talent: A film that becomes its own Cinememeatic Experience, as Nicholas Cage curbs his enthusiasm to deliver a heartfelt dramedy with a mid octane set of twists.
More ‘Mindhorn’ than ‘Moonstruck’ in its charm as Nicholas Cage shows a return to his comedy skillset (not that he ever left them), as he plays a comedy of his own career as a down on his luck Nick is offered a chance to pay off debts by attending a one-man super convention by (insert character here) charismatically played by Pedro Pascal, who seems to have spent his life stanning Nic. The film has a great range and there are many nods to films you will have forgotten Nicholas Cage did, but the crux is you will have probably seen each and every one of them.
THE ‘REAL’ NICHOLAS CAGE BRINGS A TOUCH OF HUMOUR AND HUBRIS AND PATHOS
Right at the beginning of the film, there is a moment where, trying to get an audition, Nicholas Cage turns to a casting agent and says ‘I'll read for you’ and, reader… In a nanosecond I was on the edge of my seat leaning my arms on the seats in front of me, mesmerised. I’m sure there is an annotated essay being written for all the Easter eggs contained within could fill a Cadburys factory. But the understated way so many are played proves there is genuine comedy. There is a device where Nicholas Cage talks to a younger self in his own mind fulfilling the meme addicts in the room. However, the ‘real’ Nicholas brings a touch of hubris and pathos to his role that could give Alan Partridge a run for his money, since the same warm vein of humour is present here.
Pedro pascale’s Javi is the ultimate frenemy
The cast in the film doesn’t hyper-act or even over-act, but genuinely acts. It really ensures you are invested in each character. Pedro Pascale plays the ultimate frenemy to Nick, Javi Gutierrez, the suspected kidnapper and drug lord. Whose own vulnerability and menace blend so well you feel you're watching the male bonding of Midnight Run or Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Tiffany Haddish as Nick’s CIA handler Vivian, proves a range of character that could only be complemented by Cage’s Neo-Shamanic (his words) performance and I think if any studio doesn't give her the lead for the next DIE HARD is, frankly, missing a trick. There are plenty of nods as the film deftly reinvents Cages’ action career with guns and car chases, but all subdued. Think ‘The Batman’ rather than ‘Con Air’ - but with Captain Corelli in the cape and you get the tone. Sharon Horgan (as estranged wife Olivia) plays great off of Nick’s man child. But finally, it’s Cage’s on-screen daughter who has the most fantastic role, conveying both the anxiety and anger of being a teen without being a cliche proves Lily Mo Sheen as Addy cage is one to watch.
The film is nuanced and well-scripted with everything that occurs having a payoff that holds the whole experience together. If there is anything lacking for me as a casual ‘Cager’, it’s just one question that might detract from how much I recommend this film…
Do I have to see Paddington before I see Paddington 2?
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is at cinemas now.