There are few actors in the world who are as polarising as Nicolas Cage. Depending on who is giving their opinion, The Man Formerly Known As Nicolas Kim Coppola is either one of the worst actors who ever lived and has been churning out nothing but cinematic dreck for over a decade; or he is a unique movie star who actually has an extensive back catalogue and several amazing performances in his locker. There is very little middle ground with an actor like Cage, probably because his acting style so rarely shoots for the middle ground. He is at his best giving eccentric, energetic performances and more often than not can be seen chewing the scenery with gusto. This is exactly what some fans want from Cage, but unfortunately, is also what can turn so many others away from his work. Cage has, in fact, referred to his style as 'nouveau shamanic', a new acting method of his own invention. Interesting factoid or mad rambling? You decide. Something that isn't up for debate is that he has undoubtedly done considerable damage to his reputation in the 2000's, and in particular the last four years or so, with a seemingly unending stream of terribly received films. Recent efforts like Left Behind, Tokarev, Stolen and Trespass have seen him fall into the ignominy of the 'Direct to DVD' film, and even films granted a cinema release flop at the box office. However, the new millennium hasn't been all bad for Cage, and even though he is going through a tough time with critics and fans at the moment, he still managed to star in 10 high quality movies released since the year 2000. This article will hopefully highlight some of these gems, films which shouldn't be lumped in with his recent run of duds. In fact, it's hard to imagine now, but in the early to mid-2000's Cage was still producing quality work that could rival any of the films that made his name in the 1990's.
