THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT

US, 2022, 107 minutes, Colour.

Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish, Sharon Horgan, Paco Leon, Neil Patrick Harris, Lily Mo Sheen, Alessandra Mastronardi, Demi Moore, David Gordon Green, Ike Baronholtz.

Directed by Thomas Gormican.

The immediate thought while watching this tantalisingly titled film is what a good sport Nicolas Cage must be. To have agreed to the enterprise in the first place. To have participated so enthusiastically in the second place. And to display his life and career on screen with such acting and dramatic zest.

Obviously, this is a bit of cinema fun for everyone concerned and for the audience, especially those who have had an admiration for Nicolas Cage despite the multitude (to say the least) of action quickies that he has been making in recent years. This one, of course, sends those up. (And, to respect Cage, he did win the Best Actor Oscar in 1995 for his alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas.)

In a sense, this is a film that has its cake and eats it! The cake is presenting a Nicolas Cage action show. Eating it is in the fact that it is all tongue in cheek, a sendup, we can have all the action while mocking it.

Then, there is Cage’s alter ego, a digitised version of his younger self who, in the final credits, is named as Nicolas Kim Coppola (which is Cage’s actual name). The alter ego is the younger swaggering self, making demands, taunting, but needing to be KO’d.

The cowriter-director, Tom Gormican, was daring to ask Cage to participate in this self-mocking enterprise. The popularity of Being John Malkovich meant that Being Nicolas Cage was taken for a title. And, there was a precedent, Adaptation, starring Cage and written and directed by Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufmann, who made Being John Malkovich!

As the film opens, Cage is pleading for a role that will get him a comeback, arguing with his agent, Neil Patrick Harris. Meanwhile, he struggles with his ex-wife (British comedian, Sharon Horgan), tries to relate to his 16-year-old daughter, making her watch the 1919 German expressionist film, Cabinet of Dr Caligari. She is rebellious.

But, he accepts an invitation to go to Mallorca, hosted by Javi (Pedro Pascal) in a lavish coastal villa. Javi has written a screenplay he wants Cage to star in. However, in the background, then in the foreground, drug dealing criminals, surveillance by the CIA in the form of Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz. Cage is seconded by them to spy on Javi, to find the location of a politician’s kidnapped daughter, and deal with his ex-wife and daughter being abducted to the Villa.

So, the rest of the film is action adventure, espionage, surveillance, assassins, dealers, fights, shootouts, car chases, the lot.

Which means then that we have a typical Nicolas Cage movie underlying and overlaying an entertaining movie spoof – with all kinds of enjoyable references to many of Cage’s other films.

As this film is being released, Cage already has for action shows in post-production, including playing Dracula in Renfield.

1. Being Nicolas Cage? An acknowledgement of his screen persona and career? Serious and comic?
2. The settings, the world of LA, moviemaking, homes and apartments, screenings? The contrast with Spain, the island, the château, the town? The CIA headquarters? The mansion, the pool, the interiors? The countryside, the cliffs, the roads, chases and shootouts? The musical score?
3. The title, its tone, amusing?
4. The range of Cage’s earlier films being referenced, action shows, and Guarding Tess?
5. The basic premise, Nicolas Cage, his career, his action shows, preoccupied with it, the prospect of a good role and his focusing on it, his age and being offhand, throwing Javi’s script in the wastepaper basket? At home, separation from his wife, relationship with his daughter, 16, getting her to watch the Cabinet of Dr Caligari? Her reaction? Disputes? Her birthday party, the visitors, her mother, his being late, preoccupied, drinking, the cake, his speech?
6. Being offered $1 million, the decision to go to Spain, meeting Javi, Cage putting his foot in it? And the appearance of his younger self, digitally altered, tough attitudes from the past, giving advice? His having a holiday, relaxing, the discussions with Javi? Resisting the screenplay? Their talking, going to the cliffs, the swims, his changing his mind?
7. The CIA agents, the kidnap issue, the dead girl disappeared, the drug dealers, getting in touch with Cage, enlisting him, to spy on Javi? His reluctance, the opposite of his screen heroes? His spying, the discussions, yet bonding with Javi, discussions of scenes, going into action, being creative with the screenplay?
8. The agents, in continual radio contact, his searching for documents, the surveillance area, almost being caught, the dangers?
9. Javi, wealthy, head of the family, his cousin and the drug deals? His love for Alexandra, her strong personality, taking charge? Cage and his misinterpretation of Javi? The audience watching Javi ambiguously? And then learning the truth?
10. The cousin, the drug deals, Javi’s nominal head, the kidnap of the girl, the elections?
11. The action adventure, paralleling Nicolas Cage’s films? Sending them up?
12. The abduction of his wife and daughter, their disbelief, the dangers, being taken, meeting up with the kidnapped girl? And her amazement that it was Nicolas Cage to the rescue?
13. His impersonation of the Mafia chief, the belief, the expose, the thugs, the shootings? The CIA agents and their being unmasked, dead?
14. Cage and Javi, the heroics, the driving, the vehicles, the actions and stunts, shootouts? The ex-wife, the girls, their participating in the action?
15. Everything resolved, the shift to the premiere of the film, the applause, Javi nervous outside, Cage and the reconciliation with his family?
16. Nicolas Cage as a good sport for participating in this spoof and send up – as well is emphasising his career and action shows?