The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent review – Nicolas Cage is Nicolas Cage
Peter Bradshaw
2 min read
Nicolas Cage has officially revealed he’s in on the joke … if “joke” is precisely what it is. But has that spoiled the joke – if that is the correct word? This is a self-aware action comedy whose title is possibly the funniest bit, riffing on Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being as well as possibly Dave Eggers’s memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Producer-star Cage plays “Nick Cage”: Hollywood ledge and national treasure (to quote a relevant movie title) now in a midlife crisis, haunted by CGI-doppelganger visions of his angry younger self, no longer booking the big roles and facing a grim future in which, as his agent (Neil Patrick Harris) puts it, he plays the cool gay uncle in a Duplass brothers film.
Cage is living in a hotel, estranged from his wife Olivia (a thanklessly unfunny role for Sharon Horgan) and moody teen daughter Addy (Lily Mo Sheen), who hates the movie classics he tries introducing her to. (I was waiting for Addy to declare herself instead a massive fan of movies by the Coppola family. Maybe that would be an in-joke too far.) Cash-strapped Cage is forced to accept a million-dollar appearance fee at the spectacular luxury home of a billionaire plutocrat Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal) who is a besotted superfan. But then the CIA gets word to our hero that Javi is a dangerous cartel gangster and Cage must use his privileged access to bring him down.
There are some entertaining meta-touches here, but the entire Gutierrez plot is strained and borderline dull. Pascal isn’t a natural comic and the movie winds up fudging his crucial bad-guy status. As for Cage, this isn’t like Leslie Nielsen sending up his erstwhile straight-lead image for Airplane! and The Naked Gun, nor is it exactly like John Malkovich fabricating a complex fictional self in Being John Malkovich. Cage simply plays Cage in the moderate script he’s been given, in that utterly committed, strangely uncomplicated way that has won the hearts of fans who declare themselves on the right side of the laugh-with/laugh-at piding line. But Cage has already done a far more interesting postmodern film about the film business – Spike Jonze’s Adaptation, written by Charlie Kaufman, in which Cage gave a far better (dual) performance in a much funnier and better written film as the tormented screenwriter-artist Charlie Kaufman and his middlebrow twin brother Donald. In comparison, this feels lightweight.
Related News & Content
-
Weapons supervisor jailed after cinematographer shot dead on set of Alec Baldwin's Rust…
Weapons supervisor jailed after cinematographer shot dead on set of Alec Baldwin's Rust...,article" property="og:type" /><meta content="The weapons supervisor on Alec Baldwin's Rust film has been jailed for 18 months, after another crew member was shot dead. -
Qatar re-evaluating its role as mediator in Gaza cease-fire negotiations
Qatar re-evaluating its role as mediator in Gaza cease-fire negotiations,‘Doha is committed to its role, but there are limits to this role,’ says foreign minister - Anadolu Ajansı -
Government accused of being out of touch with ‘ruthless net zero agenda’
Government accused of being out of touch with ‘ruthless net zero agenda’,Conservative backbenchers questioned the Government’s strategy on net zero with an energy minister saying they had to ‘win hearts and minds’. -
Brexit has ‘exacerbated’ UK drug shortages with supply 'broken', research finds
Brexit has ‘exacerbated’ UK drug shortages with supply 'broken', research finds,article" property="og:type" /><meta content="A report is warning the UK's medicine supply chain is "broken" with drug shortages becoming the "new normal" in Britain. -
Asos losses widen as sales fall amid revamp plan
Asos losses widen as sales fall amid revamp plan,The group posted underlying pre-tax losses of £120 million for the six months to March 3 against losses of £87.4 million a year ago. -
30 bodies exhumed from 2 mass graves at Gaza hospital after Israeli raid
30 bodies exhumed from 2 mass graves at Gaza hospital after Israeli raid,Women, elderly people among victims, Gaza’s media office says - Anadolu Ajansı -
Police officer seriously injured after being stabbed while arresting knifeman in Enfield
Police officer seriously injured after being stabbed while arresting knifeman in Enfield,article" property="og:type" /><meta content="A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a Met police officer was stabbed in a north London street. -
Outsourcer Mitie revenues jump to record £4.5bn
Outsourcer Mitie revenues jump to record £4.5bn,The firm said it witnessed ‘strong’ growth in the final quarter. -
Serbia to hold Belgrade, local elections in June
Serbia to hold Belgrade, local elections in June,Serbia needs as much internal stability as possible, says Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic - Anadolu Ajansı -
Carol Kirkwood stuns in figure-hugging dress amid BBC Breakfast technical chaos
Carol Kirkwood stuns in figure-hugging dress amid BBC Breakfast technical chaos,CAROL Kirkwood stunned in a figure-hugging dress amid a technical blunder. BBC Breakfast was flung into chaos this morning after a string of sound issues. However Carol, 61, was all smiles as she p… -
Families ‘to sue prison’ where loud inmates ‘terrorise kids’ with screaming
Families 'to sue prison' where loud inmates 'terrorise kids' with screaming,Residents living next door to a new prison who say their kids have to sleep wearing headphones and some leave during weekends due to the racket are threatening to sue the prison service -
Doctor Strange’s Secret Wars Role May Be More Important Than You Thought – Looper
Doctor Strange's Secret Wars Role May Be More Important Than You Thought - Looper,According to entertainment leaker Alex Perez, Doctor Strange will find himself confronting his inner struggles as he headlines "Avengers: Secret Wars." -
Blondshell and Bully Team Up For New Single “Docket”
Blondshell and Bully Team Up For New Single “Docket”,Blondshell has teamed up with Alicia Bognanno of Bully for the newly released single "Docket." Listen to the track here. -
I’m a clown for not trying Korean beauty secret for glowy skin sooner – don’t worry, I’m not putting cheese on my face
I’m a clown for not trying Korean beauty secret for glowy skin sooner – don’t worry, I’m not putting cheese on my face,A BEAUTY influencer has regrets about not trying out Korean beauty advice for glowy skin sooner. Although the trick can look a little strange at first, she assured viewers that she was not putting … -
The odd history of on-hold music
The odd history of on-hold music,We've all been put on hold when we've tried to reach someone. Have you ever thought about the music that plays while you wait? -
‘What Jennifer Did’: Netflix doc explores shocking Ont. murder-for-hire case
'What Jennifer Did': Netflix doc explores shocking Ont. murder-for-hire case,Most of Jennifer Pan's entire life was made up of lies. When her parents began to catch on, she decided to bring in hired hitmen. -
Marseille vs. Benfica: live game updates, stats, play-by-play
Marseille vs. Benfica: live game updates, stats, play-by-play,Sports News, Scores, Fantasy Games -
Amazon could soon be forced to recognize UK trade union
Amazon could soon be forced to recognize UK trade union,LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. technology and retail giant Amazon could soon be required to formally recognise the GMB trade union at its Coventry warehouse in Britain, after a government body ruled in the union's favour. GMB said in a statement on Friday that Amazon workers at the site would now vote on union recognition, and if approved, it would be the first time outside the United States that Amazon was required to bargain with a union over pay, hours and holiday. Amazon has historically opposed unionisation, but in 2022, workers at one of its New York warehouses forced the company to recognise a trade union in the U.S. for the first time.
Warning: file_get_contents(https://www.scienceradars.com/wp-output-content.php?pg=1&cat=&kw=&lvl=): Failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 526 in /home/wwwroot/xuenou.com/wp-content/themes/chromenews/template-parts/content.php on line 169
Warning: file_get_contents(https://www.bayuexiang.com/wp-output-content.php?pg=1&cat=&kw=&lvl=): Failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 526 in /home/wwwroot/xuenou.com/wp-content/themes/chromenews/template-parts/content.php on line 173
17 Things That Rich People Completely Ruined For Poor People
Best draft fits for NFL Rookie of the Year candidates
Exclusive | Samsung Doubles Down on Texas as U.S. Chip Center
American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) Stock Price, News, Quote & History – Yahoo Finance
