Susan Granger’s review of “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” (Lionsgate)
“I turned down the idea three or four times,” admits Nicolas Cage, referring to “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.” But then he received an impassioned letter from co-writer/director Tom Gormican (who wrote the script with Tim Etten) which made him reconsider.
In this absurdist movie, Cage plays an aging, depressed movie star, increasingly alienated from his ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Horgan) and teenage daughter Addy (Lily Sheen), who don’t share his passion for old horror films like “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (1920).
If he weren’t so deep in debt – owing $600,000 to the Sunset Towers Hotel – a.k.a. the fabled Chateau Marmont – where he’s been living for the past year – he’d retire. But then his agent (Neil Patrick Harris) shows him a #1 million offer to make an appearance at the birthday party of billionaire Javi Gutierrez (Pablo Pascal) in Mallorca, Spain.
Much to the dismay of his arrogant, obnoxious, much-younger alter-ego, known as Nicky, Cage reluctantly accepts. Then he’s recruited by two C.I.A. agents (Tiffany Haddish, Bo Barinholtz) to spy on Gutierrez, whom they identify as a dangerous international arms dealer.
Apparently, Gutierrez has kidnapped a politician’s teenage daughter who is being held captive somewhere on his compound. So under the pretext of working with Gutierrez on the screenplay he’s written for him, Cage takes LSD and goes cliff-diving. Meanwhile, he’s snooping around.
So much for plot. That’s basically irrelevant compared with copious references to Cage’s extensive filmography – including “The Rock,” “Leaving Las Vegas,” “Face/Off,” “National Treasure,” along with “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin,” “Guarding Tess,” “Mandy” and “The Wicker Man” remake. Plus, there are cameos with director David Gordon Green and actress Demi Moore.
Emphasizing the close relationship between Nicky and Cage, he French kisses himself. And In the credits, the sleazy character of Nicky is played by Nicolas Kim Coppola, which is Cage’s birth name. He’s a nephew of Francis Ford Coppola.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is a satirical, surrealistic, self-mocking 6, playing in theaters.
