REVIEWED - The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

For years, Nicholas Cage has been building a name as one of the worlds most “unique” actors. His energy often seems unmatchable, and his choices are often incomprehensible.

Of all the films I’ve ever seen him in, the one I felt he was best suited to was 2019’s Color Out of Space, where he plays a father being driven insane as his home is turned into a landscape of cosmic horror.

I don’t feel it’s a controversial statement to say it is unlikely that any of us will see another actor quite like him in our lifetimes. In Tom Gormican’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage takes on a role like no other; Nicholas Cage.

Due to the strain it has put on his relationship with his family coupled with his recent lack of work, Nick decides to retire from acting. Before making the news public however, he accepts payment to attend the birthday party of a billionaire fan, Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Paschal, The Mandalorian, The Bubble).

Nick and Javi hit it off nearly right away, becoming close. So, when the CIA recruits Nick to spy on Javi (who it turns out is a ruthless, international arms dealer), he must put on the performance of a lifetime, while wrestling with whether he can betray the first person he’s truly connected with in a long time. The film is fun, meta, and surprising, but it isn’t really one you’ll want to watch for the plot (not that there’s anything wrong with it).

The thing is, Massive Talent is one of those films where the characters are so well done, that whenever the plot does rear its head, you just wish it would go away so that you could spend more time watching them order a coffee or wait for the bus.

Cage delivers what is probably one of the most engaging performances of his career (as himself), and Paschal is unbelievably charming, as a grown man turned into a child by the shock of meeting his hero.They bounce off each other in such a way I could watch them for hours doing nothing.

Without these two actors, this movie just wouldn’t work.

I went into The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent expecting an average action comedy. Maybe a few jokes that would get a hearty laugh, but not much substance past its main gimmick of Cage playing himself.

Instead, I got the most heartfelt stories seen I’ve seen this year. A must-see comedy which manages to be both a coming-of-age and mid-life crisis film at the same time.

Rating 4/5 stars

Nat Dolan is an Auckland actor and movie enthusiast