The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

 

With a title like this ànd starring Nicolas Cage, there is a good chance you haven't read the rest of this review and instead are either running to watch it or running as far away as possible from this.

Option 1 is the better choice, believe me, even if you are not too fond of Nicolas Cage. This movie is a hoot. It's insanely meta, hilarious and the interplay between Cage and Pedro Pascal is so much fun, it's hard to put into words. 

So let's try anyway.

Nicolas Cage plays Nick Cage, a somewhat (but not really) exaggerated version of himself, who hasn't been doing too hot on the work front. Most of his roles either fall through or the movies he's in lately haven't managed to break the bank. But it's a job and seeing as Nick owes quite a few people quite a lot of money, he has no choice but to keep going.

However, he finally decides to stop acting. Which, coincidentally, is also the exact moment he gets an offer from a wealthy guy on the island of Mallorca to come and liven up a private party. Cage is reluctant, but he desperately needs the money so agrees. It turns out Javi (Pascal) is an enormous fan, but also part of a crime family who has recently abducted the daughter of a Spanish politician. So Cage gets more or less pushed by the CIA to go and spy in order to free the girl. Things get a little more complicated once Cage's ex-wife and daughter are also brought into the fold and in the meantime, Javi is urging Cage to make a movie with his ideas.

This entire plot seems rather light and it pretty much is, but this is not why this movie works. It's the self-deprecating humour Nicolas Cage shows here. He knows that a number of his traits and idiosyncracies are peculiar and he plays with them to the fullest. Pascal's fanboy-schtick is pretty hilarious as well and they both work really well together. 

For a minor spoiler: at one point in the movie they both drop acid and then go on a drive and it's hands down one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. 

Naturally, if you can't stand to see or hear Nicolas Cage, then this most likely isn't the movie for you. But if you like a funny meta-comedy, filled to the brim with Cage-isms, then you should absolutely watch this.