The nephew of film director Francis Ford Coppola, actor Nicolas Cage is one of the most recognisable actors of his generation. He’s also one of the hardest working having amassed over one hundred screen credits in his forty year career. With so many films on his resume there are inevitably some that aren’t so great, but Cage has consistently sought out interesting projects amongst the weaker titles, proving time and again that he is an incredible force of nature. This back catalogue of work forms the foundation for new movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which sees Cage take on his hardest role yet: himself.
In The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage plays Nick Cage (that’s Nick with a K), an alt-version of himself and one that plays upon Cage’s own reputation and career, but shapes it into a fictional narrative. So Cage plays Nick Cage, a bourbon-guzzling cocky egotist, full of bravado. This Cage one hundred percent buys into his own hype and sees himself as the most important aspects of his own (and everybody else’s) world. His blind focus on his work has led to the disintegration of his marriage and opened up a chasm between him and his daughter. Nick is also drowning in debt, spending money like a superstar when the reality is that his career has stalled and left him making much smaller movies. In need of a cash injection he reluctantly accepts the paid invitation to attend a party of superfan Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal) and quickly finds himself embroiled in a plot straight out of one of his movies.
No faceat of Nicolas Cage’s public persona and internet fame is left untouched here and so The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is crammed full of Easter eggs and references to the actor’s legacy. With so much Cage on display, this really is the ultimate film for anyone with a keen interest in the actor. These constant nods are handled very carefully though, meaning that the film never becomes inaccessible to those that don’t know much about the star. It’s a hard line to walk, but director Tom Gormican has successfully managed to balance it.
Some could argue that Cage has an easy ride here, he is playing himself after all, but much like the cameos of other actors in shows like Extras and Entourage, the part is a heightened take. There’s enough fictional elements pumped into the role to make him a character separate from the actor and, if anything, the blurred lines create a harder task for Cage as he has to reign in his performance in order to keep it from pushing too far into silly parody territory. That’s not to say that the performance is restrained or subdued in any way; Cage does go ‘full Cage’ and the audience don’t have to wait long at all to hear some of his signature screams and shouts.
It takes an equally massive talent to be able to hold their own on screen alongside someone with as much presence as Cage, but Pedro Pascal has been perfectly cast. After starring in Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman 1984, and The Mandalorian, Pascal is familiar to a wide audience but has yet to reach the heady heights of Cage infamy; yet he is so well suited when placed alongside Cage. He holds his own as Javi, stepping up to challenges laid down by Cage rather than shirking, and never disappears into the background (something that can’t be said for several other co-stars of Nicolas Cage). Javi himself is a fantastic character, one that forms both the perfect conduit for the Cage fanatics in the audience as well as the ideal vessel for director Tom Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten to fanboy through. Pascal’s performance is akin to a lovable excited puppy; Javi is over the moon to be spending time with his acting hero. There’s something about Javi’s passion for all things Cage that is infectious and his mirroring of many of the viewers own thoughts and feelings makes him feel like an instant friend.
The dynamic between the two actors is electric. Javi and Nick can easily stand alongside Hot Fuzz’s Nicholas Angel and Danny Butterman as one of the best on screen double-acts of modern times. Scenes between Nick and Javi are wonderful to watch as the viewer witnesses the birth of the ultimate bromance. The pair bounce beautifully off of each other’s enthusiasm and energy and thus create a couple that the audience immediately care about and invest in. There’s a sweetness and innocence to their interactions that conjures up the same fuzzy feelings as that of watching the family friendly film sequel that helps forge their bond. It’s always fun to watch friendships form on-screen and it’s clear that there’s an element of life imitating art with Cage and Pascal appearing to be kindred spirits. The whole film devotes itself to nurturing these two men as they navigate the tricky minefield of making a friend as an adult and there’s something heart-warming to see it unfold how it does here. One particular highlight of their relationship comes during the moments where the two essentially play pretend together like children as they run away from imaginary baddies. There is a pureness to these scenes that is magical to watch as they transport the viewer back to their own more carefree days.
Javi and Nick are not the only double-act in the film however, as there is also Nick and Nicky. Nicky appears to Nick in True Romance style hallucinations and is the embodiment of Nick’s ego and self-belief. Nicky is Nick’s own personal cheerleader, constantly revving him up and providing plenty of laughs in the process. Whereas when he is playing Nick, Cage must tow the line and be a little sensible and serious, the same rules do not apply to Nicky when the inner wild child of Cage is unleashed and dialled up to one hundred and eleven. The Cage-on-Cage interactions are dynamite and present a fictional, although entirely plausible, glimpse inside the mind of the acting legend.
As fun as all the character dynamics and interplays are, the success of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent also lies within the plot. Both Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal may be actors at the top of their game and excellent here, but without a solid narrative to play with, their talent would be wasted. Outside of the Nick Cage aspect, the story isn’t hugely different to that which we’ve seen time and time again within the action comedy arena, though it does venture into some more dramatic areas than others. The throughline of the film riffs off of several other ‘bromantic’ stories, including Point Break, but retains its own brand of individuality in how it approaches the plot beats. Much like Cage’s performance, the energy levels start high, but whereas Cage maintains that level of vitality, the pace slackens off during the final act. It’s almost as if the film itself starts to collapse under the immense mindfield of mixing reality with fiction, weaving in enough meta discourse to rival The Matrix Resurrections. The finale still pulls out all the trappings to entertain, and manages to keep the viewer invested, it just gets a tad exhausting towards the end.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is the perfect celebration of one of Hollywood’s most mesmerising stars. Gormican and Etten have poured their unashamed love and adoration for Cage into the script and in return receive the absolute best from Cage. An actor who always understands the assignment he’s been given, Cage gives yet another accolade worthy turn, one that will only serve to endear him even more to those that already hold him dear.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Summary
Nicolas Cage is as great as ever in this meta love-letter to his career and fame, receiving some excellent, almost scene-stealing, support from the wonderfully charming Pedro Pascal.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent arrives into cinemas from Friday 22nd April 2022.
