A lark that leans almost entirely on the mystique of “Nicolas Cage,” The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent stars the notorious actor as “Nick Cage,” a late-career Hollywood star looking for a comeback. (“Not,” as he regularly reminds himself, “that we went anywhere.”) After losing out on a coveted role—his insistence on reading for the director in the valet line at a fancy Beverly Hills restaurant is one of the movie’s many “full Cage” moments—Nick accepts a $1 million paycheck for a personal appearance at the lavish, seaside estate of a Spanish businessman (Pedro Pascal), who may or may not be the head of an international criminal enterprise. To be honest, Pascal is the best thing about the movie: light on his feet, playing off and with Cage beautifully, as a sensitive aspiring screenwriter who is a bit embarrassed about the lavish Nick Cage memorabilia room he has on his compound (complete with a wax figure of Nick in Face/Off mode). The movie’s best moments are those of cinebro-bonding between Pascal and Cage’s characters. Cage is good and more than game for the film’s self-conscious conceit, but there are moments where you feel a bit sad for him; questionable career choices aside, he’s still a unique acting talent who deserves more than being pulled out to perform meme-able tricks. Heck, even last year’s somber Pig proved that. Co-written and directed by Tom Gormicon, who previously made the 2014 relationship comedy That Awkward Moment.
(4/20/2022)
