Sticking Cage in a plotline straight out of one his action films like “Gone In 60 Seconds” or “National Treasure” could easily begin to feel like a gimmick, but the filmmakers pull from every corner of his filmography to craft something transcendent. A poolside breakdown harkens back to Cage’s Oscar-winning performance in “Leaving Las Vegas.” His chemistry with Pascal as the two begin working on a screenplay together keeps the film grounded in character over plot, real emotions over artifice.
In a surreal twist, Cage further flexes his acting chops a la “Adaptation” playing the dual role of Nicky (where he’s credited by his real name: Nicolas Kim Coppola), a grotesque ghost of his past self, styled like the outre characters he played in “Wild At Heart” and “Vampire’s Kiss.” Nicky is always there reminding him he is a movie STAR, not just an actor working on his craft or a father patching up a rough relationship with his daughter. Always these multiple aspects of himself wrestle inside Nick, stunting his ability to grow into the man he needs to be for his family right now.
These fictional Cages offer the real Cage the space to marvel at his own mythmaking, the real impact he’s had on his fans, and a showcase to remind Hollywood of his range. This is an actor equally as capable of performing in popcorn fluff and voice acting in family-friend animated films as he is tapping into the madness of “Mandy” or the melancholy of “Pig.” Filled with easter eggs for fans of any facet of Cage’s career, the filmmakers don’t place a judgment on which of his films have the most value, understanding that a favorite film is intimate and personal, and that what matters is that it does resonate on some level.
Even amidst all this meta-commentary on contemporary filmmaking, the mechanics of Hollywood, and the emotional heft of fandom, Cage the man always knows what is expected of Cage the myth. In “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” he finds the perfect synthesis of the two, and in turn delivers one of the most complex, yet crowd-pleasing performances of his career.
This review was filed from the SXSW Film Festival. The film opens on April 22nd.
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