The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish, Sharon Horgan, Lily Mo Sheen, Ike Barinholtz, Neil Patrick Harris

Director: Tom Gormican

Nick Cage (Cage) is having a rough go, as he can't find a good role to sink his teeth into and has a strained relationship with his ex-wife Olivia (Horgan) and daughter Addy (Mo Sheen). After losing out on a role he really wanted, his agent Richard (Harris) reminds him he is in so much debt he is about to lose his apartment at the Sunset Towers. When he is offered a million dollars to be flown to an island for a birthday party, he has no choice but to accept. When he gets to the island, he meets Javi (Pascal) who is Cage's biggest fan and wants him to act in a screenplay he wrote. While Cage is initially dismissive, he and Javi soon bond and become friends. Unfortunately for Nick, Javi may be involved in some shady dealings and he is recruited by CIA agents Martin (Barinholtz) and Vivian (Haddish) to gather evidence against Javi. As Nick digs deeper, he must choose between saving the day and his relationship with his new friend.

I love it when actors play fictionalized versions of themselves and I am 100% on board when that actor is Nicolas Cage, The man is not only a national treasure (see what I did there) but also has an incredible sense of self and humor. He will sign onto anything (his direct-to-video output is astonishing) and has such a diverse filmography it’s hard not to respect his work ethic. He actually is in debt up to his eyeballs in real life (hence his inability to turn down a project) but that doesn't stop him from giving it his all. This movie works because Cage totally buys into the script, recognizing it's not there to necessarily make fun of him but has a total and unabashed respect for him.

One of the most brilliant things this movie does is have Cage have conversations with his younger self. It could have failed spectacularly but instead gives us incredible insight into Cage's character, both in the movie world and in reality. It culminates in a jaw-dropping moment where young Cage kisses his older self. The audience I saw the movie with didn't know how to react but all I wanted to do was stand up and clap.

There is humor and action aplenty. While some might find the switch from comedy to action jarring, it works really well when you consider Cage's filmography. There are references aplenty, including a brilliant one to the little-seen Captain Corelli's Mandolin. While the action isn't anything mind-blowing, it helps move the film and plot along.

Cage and Pascal have amazing chemistry. Their relationship, which blooms over the course of a weekend, really works because of them. I honestly wish they could play best friends in every movie. While they are both incredible here, deftly balancing the action and humor, I have to give a lot of credit to Sharon Horgan. Her character could have been a throwaway character but she not only gets involved in the action but helps Nick grow by the end of the movie. I like Barinholtz and Haddish but they feel almost wasted in their roles as the CIA agents who recruit Cage,

In a world where action comedies come off stale and uninspired, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is proof that with the right cast and script there are still original and fun ideas out there.

Grade: A-