The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Released March 12, 2022 (at SXSW) & April 22, 2022 worldwide
There are a few actors in our generation who are simply known for being themselves. People like Christopher Walken, Samuel L, Jackson and of course, the incomparable Nicolas Cage.
This movie is so unbelievably meta. That being said, you don’t have to really know Nicolas Cage to fully enjoy this film (but it helps). Okay so, full disclosure: I only saw Con Air for the first time during the pandemic (I know, I know, but better late than never). Lo and behold, this movie opened with a scene from that film. I obviously felt very superior and smug for knowing what movie that clip was from. Side note - If you haven’t seen it, Con Air is a great film. John Malkovich makes for a chillingly evil villain (and I had the biggest crush on 90’s John Cusack, so, bonus).
Nick and Pedro had really great chemistry together. It’s almost like a “buddy cop” kind of movie, minus the “cop” part. I feel like Pedro has really blown up the last few years and I’m totally here for it. I remember seeing him way back in the day on Game of Thrones (RIP) and The Mentalist as guest star roles. And now here he is living his best life as The Mandalorian (and the uber cheese villain in Wonder Woman 1984). I also thought he was great in the Kingsman sequel and in Equalizer 2 (another great franchise, btw, and I’m excited for the third instalment coming out in 2023). Yes, yes, I love Pedro, you get it, let’s move on. I loved the supporting roles that Ike Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish played as well. I’ve always thought that Ike was hilarious (since his MadTV days - the Abercrombie skits are still gold).
Overall, I really enjoyed this film. During one particularly hilarious scene, I laughed so hard that I cried. During a more tense scene, I found myself gripping the armrest with my breath held. I guess, this is all to say that if you asked me what genre this film is, I wouldn’t know how to answer you question. It’s a bit of comedy, satire, action? I enjoyed this movie and I would definitely rewatch it.
Never change, Nick Cage. Never change.