In this action-packed comedy, Nicolas Cage plays Nick Cage, channeling his iconic characters as he’s caught between a superfan (Pedro Pascal) and a CIA agent (Tiffany Haddish).
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is written and directed by Tom Gormican. As a Nick Cage fan, I was looking forward to this as soon as I heard about it. The concept has no better person to pull it off than the man himself. We meet a fictionalized version of Nicolas Cage, played by Nicolas Cage. Unfulfilled by his career and prospects at an all-time low, he agrees to attend a fan’s birthday party and spend a few days with him for one last big paycheck before retiring from acting. CIA agents intercept Cage and explain how this fan is one of the most dangerous criminals globally and may be involved in a high-profile kidnapping.
At the center of this film is a buddy comedy. Pedro Pascal plays a mega fan of Cage, and the two begin to bond and write a movie together. The bromance between Pascal and Cage is infectious, and both clearly had a blast making the film. The meta-humor combined with Cage’s ability to laugh and make fun of himself make this one of the funniest comedies in a long time. The movie and Cage himself are extremely self-aware and aren’t afraid to play around with it. There is a line in which Cage exclaims his famous line from “The Wickerman,” “No! Not the bees!”
The plot can be silly at times, other than a meta buddy comedy. It follows a loose-action movie plot involving double-crosses and other sorts of espionage. The other characters range from overblown and overdramatic to downright forgettable. Cage’s ex-wife, played by Sharon Horgan, has very little to work with but does deliver a couple of memorable lines. Similarly, Tiffany Haddish has hilarious moments, but her comedic chops are criminally underutilized.
Focusing also on the relationship with his daughter, the film is surprisingly sweet. Full of subtle and not-so-subtle references to Cage’s other work, from “Face/Off” and “Con Air” to “Guarding Tess” and “Mandy,” the movie is a treat for Nick Cage fans. The film was made by cinephiles as a lot of dialogue revolves around discussing film with unexpected references to “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” all the way to “Paddington 2.”
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is hilarious and fun to watch. You don’t have to be a Cage mega-fan to enjoy this one, but it will definitely help. If you aren’t a fan of Cage, I would still recommend it as there as some truly side-splitting moments throughout.
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