The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Director: Tom Gormican
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Hordan, Neil Patrick Harris
Primary genre: Action
Secondary genre: Comedy
Bearing elements that you might find in a Spike Jonze flick, “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is a vehicle for the now immortal - Nicolas Cage - meme god to play an exaggerated version of himself, seemingly without the restrains of a traditional story vehicle.
It is a seemingly appropriate idea for Cage to comment on his creative choices in a smart way and in the medium that he loves the most. Seeing a de-aged Cage playing a fictional Sailor Ripley look-alike (from “Wild at Heart“ (1990)) is a stroke of genius and it’s moments like these that “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent“ seems to be heading towards a unique cinematic destination simultaneously pleasing the fans of the beloved actor.
Yet the script does not fully realize its potential, unable to reach the much expected (or promised) meta levels reverting to safer ploys. The actual story is a bogus and predictable excuse to incorporate all the beloved Nicolas Cage-isms. Starting as a smart satire of the famous actor’s career blending effectively well-known incidents with more exaggerated movie elements, descends in an uninteresting second half with the telegraphic proceedings of a kidnap plot. The inclusion of Cage’s fictional family and his problematic relationship to a stereotypically-written mother and daughter due to this work takes a solid chunk of time which could have been used instead for Cage’s meta take on other popular characters examining in detail his eccentric filmography.
Where “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” excels is in its inclusion of a hefty bromance between Cage and Pedro Pascal’s adorable Cage-struck Harvey. Sharing an undeniable chemistry and excellent comedic timing, Pascal and Cage are clearly having a blast elevating the by the numbers storyline discussing and dissecting movie tropes within a movie or praising … “Paddington 2” (2017). But the biggest (and expected) draw here is seeing Cage going full on Cage, relishing every scene he is in; whether he is playing a fictional (and de-aged) version of himself based on his “Wild at Heart” (1990) character or whether he is auditioning for a new film in front of confused patrons, Cage is simply a delight deserving the price of the admission alone. It is a shame that he does not get better roles although his own late (and independent) renaissance seems remarkably promising (“Mandy“ (2018), “Color Out of Space“ (2019)).
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” could have gone the extra mile and infuse the film with an additional and meditative meta-take on the actor’s career instead of following a safer (and more mainstream) route ultimately hurting the film’s chances of becoming a provocative and gonzo Cage vehicle (e.g., “Being John Malkovich“ (1999), ‘Adaptation‘ (2002)). It is remains entertaining for sure but it is not memorable or wacky enough.
Wasted premise but mildly entertaining
+Cage is awesome
+Sailor Ripley is back!
+Pascal is awesome too
+Chemistry between Cage and Pascal
+Interesting idea
-Boring execution
-Trope of neglected family by a workaholic dad
-Uninspiring second half
-Not wacky enough