Director: Tom Gormican
Distributor: Belga Home Video
Duration: 107 minutes
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (DVD) – Movie Review
Having a movie that is a work of fiction, which revolves around a real-life actor, who also plays himself in the movie, is quite unique. This is the case for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, where it’s all about Nicolas Cage, who is clinging to his past achievements and hopes to once again become the biggest star in Hollywood. We were given a DVD copy of the film for our review, and we were quite entertained.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent revolves around Nicolas Cage, who is struggling to find work in this day and age. He is considered one of the best in his craft, but his glory days are over, and he has trouble dealing with that. Due to this, his family also suffers from his constant need for attention and selfish behavior. He is convinced he’s going to score a very big role, but sadly he doesn’t get it. He then spirals down and gets drunk at his daughter’s birthday party, and then hogs all the attention. Back at his hotel, he finds out he’s locked out due to not paying his bills, and then he remembers a lucrative offer he first declined: go to a superfan’s birthday party for one million dollars. This man is Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal), a man who is currently under investigation by the CIA, as he is suspected of kidnapping the daughter of a high-ranking politician.
What at first starts off as a bit of a drama with comedy elements soon turns into an action movie. The flow and pacing are spot on, and enough background information is given at the start of the film. You slowly get to know all the characters, and when the introductions are done, the movie proceeds with its main storyline: Nicolas Cage’s semi-involuntary enrolment in the CIA to retrieve a kidnapped girl. The suspect is none other than the man who invited him there, and so he’ll have to be careful. The movie is suitable for a slow evening where you can just zone out for a bit.
Acting performances are simply of top-notch quality in the film. For the most part, it’s a duet between Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal, with the latter playing a seemingly eccentric millionaire. Nicolas Cage plays a fictitious version of himself, and with this comes a lot of meta-humor. We connected more to the film because Cage was playing ‘himself’, and thanks to this, it came across as more realistic that he was struggling with his somewhat bygone career. Supporting roles were also handled splendidly, even though certain characters could have been fleshed out a bit more.
The DVD copy of the movie comes with quite a few extras. You’ll be able to turn on commentaries and watch a lot of in-depth making of content. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the movie came to life, and how the story was actually written without actually knowing if Nicolas Cage would be on board. You’ll have some standard special features, but all in all, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck when buying a physical copy.
Conclusion
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a fun action comedy that hits the right notes from start to finish. While we wouldn’t go as far as to call this movie a masterpiece, it is highly entertaining, fun to watch with family and friends, and just an original idea in a sea of similar films. If you’re looking for a laid-back action flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously, then you’re in for a treat.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (DVD) - Movie Review,
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