Review: The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent

Image courtesy of Lionsgate.

It may not end up being quite the ingenious meta exercise that it appears to promise, but "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" more than makes up for that by the fact that it's charming and consistently very funny. While the picture may not be a philosophical mindbender like "Being John Malkovich," Cage's game performance and the film's freewheeling spirit go a long way in making up for a lack of pointed commentary.

In the film, Cage plays what I'd expect is a slightly more exaggerated version of himself. Once one of Hollywood's biggest stars, he has been reduced to starring in mostly B pictures in which he contributes often strong - see "Mandy" or the especially surprising "Pig" from last year - performances in low-budget pictures. His portrayals are also, as those familiar with the actor's work know, a bit over the top.

There's a funny scene early on in which Cage is meeting with a producer to discuss his possible role in a dream project. In the parking lot of the restaurant where they're eating, he basically forces the producer to listen to his excitable audition of the character he wants to play. 

So, while Cage is working steadily - seemingly in order to pay off debts he has accrued - he's not getting the parts he wants. On occasion, he has conversations with a de-aged CGI version of himself - whose pep talks include a hilarious shouting of his name - who reminds him that, to paraphrase LL Cool J, he doesn't need a comeback because he's been there for years.

His home life isn't much better. His ex-wife (Sharon Horgan) seems to tolerate him, but lambasts him for not being present for their teenage daughter, Addy (Lily Mo Sheen). There are some very funny scenes in which Cage tries to explain to a family counselor why he forced his daughter to watch the 1921 classic "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," which he ranks among his favorite films, and a birthday party visit that goes awry.

Desperate for work after he doesn't get the gig for the movie for which he'd auditioned, he agrees to spend a weekend at a rich Spanish man's home in Mallorca for a birthday party. The man - Javi (Pedro Pascal) - is apparently a huge Cage fan, and hopes to use the weekend as an excuse to slip the actor a script he wrote. One of the running jokes is that some of Cage's films that flopped - for example, "Guarding Tess" or "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" - are held up as sacred texts by Javi, and Cage in all seriousness delves into the psychology of playing the characters in those movies.

I don't want to go too much further into the film's plot, but suffice it to say that two CIA agents - Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz - have been watching Javi's actions for some time, believing that he is the head of a cartel who has kidnapped the daughter of a political rival, and they enlist Cage to become a spy during his weekend at Javi's lavish home.

The picture eventually becomes an action film of the type Cage might have been associated with during the 1990s - "The Rock," "Con Air" and "Gone in 60 Seconds" all get referenced here - but it always keeps its comedic spirit intact. There are some big laughs to be found here - my favorite two are a forced laugh out of paranoia following a drug intake, and a running joke involving the film "Paddington 2."

And what makes all of this work is that Cage is a great sport about all of this. He's a very good actor - and his performance here, despite all of the silliness, is impressive - who has long been in on the joke that some of the lower budget films in which he has starred aren't worthy of his talents. When he overacts, there's a knowingness to it. 

The film's biggest surprise is its sweetness, whether it's the friendship that blossoms between Cage and Javi, or the dealings with Cage's increasingly estranged family. In the film, Cage is itching for a comeback - although he has given some impressive performances in recent years, namely "Mandy and "Pig" - and by the end of the picture, we hope he gets one.