Movie Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

 

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my Movie Review.

Well guys, this is gonna be fascinatingly unique that this is the first time im reviewing a movie starring Nicolas Cage. For those you don't know, Nicolas Cage (aka Nicolas Kim Coppola, yep, he's a family member of Coppola family like Francis Ford Coppola) is one of the most.... Dare i say, famously unique actor for his over-the-top acting, where he played a broken man with losing his hand from Moonstruck, a con-artist with Tourette Syndrome from Matchstick Man, a father with his daughter in vigilantism in Kick-Ass (which i saw the movie back then) or a drunken man who wants to ending his life in Leaving Las Vegas, the latter of which that he actually won the Oscar of Best Actor for this movie. His 80s and 90s run are actually his nice run, but in his millennium and in 2010's are probably went down with hit or miss films, but in the end of 2010s and the beginning of 2020s, he's started to having a redemption with Mandy in 2018 and Pig in 2021. With his success, we have his next movie that have a sorta weird question: What if we have a action comedy movie with fictionalized Nick Cage?

"The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" is a 2022 Action Comedy film that was written/directed by Tom Gormican, produced by Mike Nilon, Kristin Burr, Kevin Turen and Nick Cage himself (Yup, not only he acts, but also works as a producer) and co-written by Kevin Etten.

You know, making a movie starring celeb as themselves is either good or weird idea for different result, the most famous example that i know is Space Jam (first and second one), but having a movie starring Nicolas Cage as himself is rather unheard and got me curious to see after bought it on DVD.

So, with all that said, will this movie help Cage's third comeback, or is this film fell like like getting stung by the bees?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

So we expected to having an over-the-top movie with Nick Cage? Well, it kinda is, for the most part.

After many years of his success, things didn't went well for Cage that he's starting to probably having a mid-life crisis both his career and his imaginary himself as "Nicky", which they causing his neglectful relationship with his ex-wife Olivia and his daughter Addy, especially he was out of control during Addy's birthday that he was sent back home after got drunk. So, he decided to retiring his acting career, but also accepting an odd offer of $1 million to going on Majorca, Spain to meet up a playboy super fan named Javi Gutierrez to honoring the birthday. Little did he knows that Cage is caught by the CIA agents Vivian and Martin, where they told about a girl named Maria is kidnapped by the criminal group for attempt to drop the election from Catalan politician for peace, where some believing Javi is the culprit with the crime group, its up to Cage to figuring out about the crime, while he and Javi are planning together to make a movie in order to make his redemption.

I find the story itself is fine for say the least, its almost like we've been related that the more famous we become, the more struggling it gets that we're getting spiral out of control. Despite how we kinda related, but the story itself is sorta odd, its as if it tries to focus on Cage's recovering his career with the help of rich super fan by thinking for writing a story for the movie, which is a sorta movie about making a movie, but the movie decided to mixing in involving a child kidnap that Cage is ordered to question either his fan's responsibility of not, which the movie is kinda mixing up the direction, since this is the movie about Nicolas Cage trying to regain his career. Despite the flaws, what makes this movie has a good execution, is the chemistry between Nick Cage and Javi, despite the rumor's criminal activity, its nice to see them get along for their fun trip or even trying to figuring out how to make a story out of, whereas Cage is somewhat nice and curious for the idea, while Javi, being a rich fanboy, likes to helping him out to get off his struggle, despite he kinda put some dirty plan on his sleeve, like giving him an LSD (Kids, don't do drugs while either driving car or came up the idea to writing a script.).

And what about the humor in this movie, well, it could work or not, while some other actors are trying to make some jokes, they are mixed, sometimes i got a chuckle or even a laugh, but some didn't turned out. But the highlight of the humor is obviously Nick Cage himself, based on his overacting what he called "Nouveau Shamanic", it may sounds like weird name, but its his name style to showing us his true colors of overacting like you've seen many movies with Nick Cage himself, my friends.

While the story's direction kinda confuses me (unless we got the answer on the third act, but not gonna talk about from SPOILERS), its quite of nice writing and the humors could be a hit or miss, except for Cage's joke, cause well, you know Cage's acting style, more on the Characters later.

The Presentation

With the budget of $30M, you think the presentation will be look beautiful and rather standard, well, the answer is obviously, yes, but looks pretty good for say the least.

For starter, the movie takes place in Majorca, Spain, which is a nice place to go where it takes place on, it looks beautiful place to film, but it looks too good to be in beauty. When in reality, they filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Im assuming they either A, filmed in Croatia to save their budget, or B, the virus rule is too risky and strict in Spain, just saying.

For the design and such, they're quite nice what they went through, the clothing and the sets (for the most part) are nicely done, especially with Nicky's appearance is based on when Cage weirdly appeared in the talk show Wogan to promote the movie "Wild at Heart", its a nice reference, but then again, seen him in Wogan is pretty weird how he... I think portraying his character from the movie in talk show. Speaking of reference, one set that im impressed, is the scene where Javi has a collection room with Nick Cage, with bunch of stuff if you're familiar with Cage's movies, including the wax figure of Cage's Castor Troy from Face/Off, looks pretty good, especially with holding two freakin' golden guns.

As for the action scenes, they're quite fun to see with good'ol fashion shoot outs, however, the action scenes are only in the third act, which is a shame, cause we expecting having some actions to be exciting rather than get slow for the most parts, which again, i know this movie mainly focus on the chemistry between Cage and Javi for their different personalities and their story ideas.

Speaking of which, while they have a fun time of acting, sometimes they have limits, for example, there's a scene where Cage and Javi from two men are spying then bumping each others, while its nice to go, but real life Cage and Pascal weren't available for the scene, so they're obviously replaced by stunt doubles, which im assuming is to do a quick work without reaching the deadline.

While its sorta slow at the time, but least it looks beautiful and the action scene in third act are pretty good for say the least.

The Characters

Now, its no stranger that the cast has one fictional celeb and bunch of fictional characters, so you expecting that some characters could be fascinating. Well, probably so for the main casts.

Lets start off with fictionalized Nicolas Cage, as we know, Cage is a famous actor who's been for decades from successful experience to going down from hill from difficulty ideas from the writing to falling apart with his fictional family. Its easy to relate that fame could easily made us into downward spiral, but i've never expected of leaving country from a some kinda vacation offer or even an order from the CIA. Despite this, Cage as fictional himself is quite nice for his role that we've never expected for, he did a good job of his main role as we all know, even if that, like i said before, he could be easily be a ticking timebomb for his overacting.

I should also he also playing his imagination self named "Nicky", whom, like i said, based on Cage's odd appearance in Wogan. But here, Nicky is his subconscious for who he is or figuring out what to do, but then again, he also going BatS*** insane, especially for his overt-the-top name call of Nick Cage in the bar scene. And i though "Not the bees!" or ABC are Cage's craziest moments before this.

Anyway, despite the difficulty, he's got a help from Javi Gutierrez (played by Mando himself, Pedro Pascal) a Spanish rich-man and a fan of Nicolas Cage for offering him for the birthday and even get along for new movie plan. I find him pretty fascinating sidekick that he's here to helping Cage to recovering his career based on his fell apart from his fame. And that makes so good, its the chemistry between Cage and Javi, like i said, whereas Cage is struggling to recover to accepting the idea, while Javi is a respectful friendly fan for helping out, though a bit too much friendly. But of course, Pascal did a good work of his role, which at least he deserves better than his appearance in Wonder Woman 1984.

Next up is Olivia Henson (played by Sharon Horgan), she's Cage's fictional ex-wife that she's isn't get along from Cage's struggling connection. I find her ok, even though we don't know if she has a purpose for the plot, but then again, it wouldn't be until the third act, she's pretty much having a brief appearance from beginning to middle, let along with fictional daughter Addy (played by Lily Sheen). Speaking of which, Addy is also there for what just happened when Cage tried to celebrating her birthday, that was until the plot element of child kidnapping that Addy will be her next target from criminal group. They did a nice work for their roles (for the most part), even if we questioning their appearance, but again, wouldn't be until the third act.

After that, we have Vivian and Martin Etten (played by Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz), they're the CIA agents that they give us plot convenience for the order that the offer to Spain might be a trap. They're alright, they're meant to be Cage's partners to fight against the crime group, but like the ex-wife and daughter, they just had a brief appearances, but in fairness, they did a nice work of their roles.

And we have Lucas Gutierrez (played by Paco Leon), he's Javi's cousin and a crime leader of the group for child kidnapping for the purpose of dropping out the election to put down the politician of peace. I find him a not bad villain, though he may not have over the top acting as Cage, but the downside is the purpose of child kidnapping for destroying the peace in Spain, does the political element has to do with the plot of Cage's redemption? Nothing, just a unnecessary plot element that has no purpose whatsoever. But in fairness, despite the motivation, Paco did a nice work of his role, again, not as over-the-top, but at least il give a credit.

As for the rest of the movie, they're there for the plot purpose or nothing, there's Richard Fink (played by Neil Patrick Harris) who's Cage's fictional agent for the movie plans or not, but at least Harris did a good role as a humble person, Gabriela (played by Alessandra Mastronardi) who's Javi's assistant, and Maria (played by Katrin Vankova) who's the first girl who got kidnapped by the crime group for... Something something political reasons.

While the characters may or may not as memorable, but its the chemistry of two main characters are pretty good and some actors did a nice work of their roles.

And now for my Final Opinion of this film.

Overall, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a pretty good movie for say the least.

The story is nice and can be related, the presentation looks beautiful and well done, the action scenes is fun, the main casts are fun for the chemistry, and the acting is also good.

However, even though its pretty good, but the movie has flaws with briefly characters, some actors could be limited at the time, some plot element is unnecessary and the pretty good action scenes wouldn't be until the third act.

Do i think its a pretty good Nicolas Cage movie? Well, i'd say that depends for your appeal, for me, its a fine movie, but could've gone better based on some writing and direction. It may not be one of my favorite movie with Nick Cage, but its not bad.

For my rating, im gonna give this one a 7.5/10.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.