SiftPop

by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer

Nicolas Cage might just be the greatest living conundrum in Hollywood. He is an unsolvable Rubik’s Cube. He has achieved the pinnacle of film with an Oscar winning performance. He has had massive blockbuster hits making him one of the most famous and highly paid actors. There have been tremendous flops that have become living memes. He’s even disappeared for years only to come roaring back with some of the most bizarre independent genre films you could possibly fathom. Now, he is back with The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, a meta comedy that almost gives Scream a run for its money. This had the potential to be an utter disaster. Luckily for the movie-going world, this is a tremendous success — a hilariously entertaining ride that doesn’t overstay its welcome, and will have you doubling over with laughter.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has a very straightforward premise. Times have been hard for the great Nic Cage. The glory days of Leaving Las Vegas and The Rock have long been out of sight in the rear view mirror. It’s difficult to even get acting roles anymore, and his personal debts are only stacking up more and more. So when a wealthy fan offers a million dollars for Cage to simply attend his birthday party, he reluctantly agrees. By sheer happenstance Cage and his host, Javi (Pedro Pascal), hit it off and immediately become great friends. With jovial spirits they set forth to write a movie together to revive Cage’s acting career, not that it went anywhere, and begin Javi’s writing career. However, there’s a wrench in the gears, as Cage quickly learns when nearby CIA agents pull him aside and inform him that Javi is actually an international political terrorist. Things fly off the handle real fast as Cage is stuck at a murderer’s house, while trying to write a movie with him, while trying to help the CIA capture him. What could possibly go wrong?

We need to make sure that we do not bury the lead here. Right at the top it must be known, this movie is hilarious. You do not have to be a Cage enthusiast with encyclopedic memory of his filmography to enjoy this movie, although you certainly will get more out of the experience if you are a super fan. But just enjoying sound situational humor will be more than enough. This movie thrives on awkward jokes, absurdist humor, and drug-fueled shenanigans. You can also count on an immense amount of overacting from Cage that will have you rolling as he takes on different accents, characters, and even a younger version of himself. Not to be outdone, Pascal is right there with Cage to bring the laughs. He brilliantly portrays the starstruck fan who’s giddy with excitement, while still holding a darker side. More importantly, these two bounce off each other incredibly well. I have to imagine, or hope, that many of their scenes were largely improvised. Their chemistry together as newly budding friends is beyond charming, and you want nothing more than for them to be friends for life, even if the plot wants to get in the way of that. Enough credit cannot be given to these two actors who have a great rapport and a mastery of comedic timing. This movie does not work without these two stars firing on all cylinders.

Another element of this that works out so well is the meta humor. It really does give you that Scream vibe, or Tropic Thunder at the bare minimum. What’s fascinating is how it hits you at several different angles. Of course you have the obvious elements of Cage talking about his acting career, and what it is like to try and continue getting acting jobs, meeting up with directors, doing script readings, working with agents to try and land a part. It’s all here. More than that though, we have the movie talking about the making of this movie, as the movie is happening, as our characters are pitching a movie within the movie, that’s based on the movie that they are in. Confused yet? You should be; but it’s also brilliant, and Unbearable Weight does a great job of keeping everything simple and digestible for the audience. Even when it gets to specific moments in the movie, where the tense is ratcheting up, the actors will joke about finding a conclusion to the story and resolving the third act. There’s also a ton of references to, and intercutting of, older Cage movies throughout this runtime that will tickle you pink as a fan of movies. If meta jokes are not your jam, then this flick might not be for you. A good chunk of the jokes are derived from references, meta takes, and a concluding few minutes that are dripping with this type of humor. If this is something of interest to you, you’re in for a treat. This is smart, and hilarious.

The most interesting element of this movie to me actually has nothing to do with the weight of fame, but instead with the inevitability of irrelevance. It’s a part of life that eventually impacts us all, and it’s not something anyone really likes to talk about, but woven between all of these jokes we have something real. What do we do with ourselves when no one wants us around anymore? This could be because our talents have waned and we are awkwardly pushed towards retirement. Or, maybe it’s that our children have grown into young adults and they don’t need us controlling their lives and being with them every step of the way. It’s not easy to be told that you’re not wanted, or needed. This existential crisis is beautifully handled to show that we don’t truly become irrelevant and unwanted, but to those who can accept a different purpose in their existence, it’s just a new evolution in life. Maybe you aren’t the hot shot at work that you once were, but you can still be productive in other ways. Your kid might not always want you around all the time, but they’ll still lean on you from time to time. You can still be there to guide them and support them. Sometimes it’s nice to take a step back, appreciate the loved one you do have in your life, and understand it’s going to be okay. Sometimes you just need to relax and watch Paddington 2, and everything will be fine.

I had an absolute blast with The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. It delivered on exactly what it was selling: a unique, energetic, and hilarious meta adventure starring peak Cage tapping into some of his most wild antics ever. As one of the tag lines said, it’s the most Nic Cage movie ever. If you can sit back and go along for the ride, then you will have a good time. If you’re going to see one Tropic Thunder-esque movie with Pedro Pascal this year please make sure it is this absolute gem of a film and not an awful movie like The Bubble.

Score: 8/10

You can follow Heath Lynch on Letterboxd