Directed by Tom Gormican, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an action comedy film written by Kevin Ethan and Tom Gormican, and stars Nicolas Cage as a fictionalised version of himself.
After missing out on the role of a lifetime, Nicolas Cage reluctantly accepts a $1 million offer to make an appearance at a birthday party for billionaire and Nicolas Cage super fan, Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). But the story takes an unexpected turn when Nicolas is recruited by the CIA as Javi is an alleged arms dealer. Things soon become personal when his ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Horgan) and daughter Addy (Lily Mo Sheen) are under threat, so Nicolas Cage must rely on his acting skills to help save the day.
This is the perfect vehicle for Nicolas Cage. It might sound a little silly because he is playing himself, but I can’t think of many actors of his stature that are self-aware enough to be in a film that pokes fun of yourself. Although, there are a lot of references to his previous films, this film doesn’t rely on making references to be funny. The film has a lot of its own jokes on top of the references to Nicolas Cage. To my surprise, as funny as this film is, there are plenty of charming moments as well, such as the friendship between Nicolas and Javi, and the difficult relationship between Nicolas and his daughter, Addy.
While the film is quite predictable for the most part, it never loses its sense of fun. Nicolas Cage is, of course, brilliant in this film. He obviously has no problem poking fun at himself, but he can switch between being over the top for comedic purposes, to using dry sarcasm to deliver one-liner. He can also tone it down and be serious when the film calls for it. Nicolas Cage is the obvious star of the film, but I would like to acknowledge Pedro Pascal as Javi. He holds his own very well alongside Nicolas Cage. The two have great chemistry and are a lot of fun to watch on-screen together.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is essential viewing if you are a Nicolas Cage fan but it is not limited to just Nicolas Cage fans as this film has something for everyone. It contains plenty of laughs, exciting action sequences and enough drama to keep you engaged and entertained from start to finish.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is in cinemas now.