The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs
A must-see for Nicolas Cage fans.
The movie event of the year for Nicolas Cage fans is finally here - a film that on paper could so easily have devolved into a joke that outstayed its welcome, and yet has turned out to be one of the most entertaining studio buddy comedies of the last few years.
The portentously-titled The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent stars Nicolas Cage as a not-so-fictionalised version of himself as he accepts $1 million to attend the birthday party of a super-fan, Javi (Pedro Pascal), who the CIA believes is actually a wanted arms dealer.
It's a delicious premise but a tougher one to execute in reality, yet thankfully this is a wildly meta action-comedy that largely lives up to, if not exceeds, the hype.
It may not be perfect, but for Cage's legion of devotees and simply those who enjoy a quirky, oddball buddy movie, there's a hell of a lot here to enjoy.
Early reviews generally seem pretty united in their praise for the movie and its two leading men, and in a theatrical cinematic landscape that's becoming increasingly defined by safe bets and same old blockbusters, it's a relief to see something truly weird and inspired come down the pike.
But first, here's what the film doesn't quite get right...