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Movie Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Mike Tyrkus

While you may not remember when the stature of Nicolas Cage and his acting ability became the stuff of legend, rest assured it did and Tom Gormican’s film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent sets out to ensure that everyone recognizes how utterly fantastic Mr. Cage is. 

The film follows actor Nicolas Cage as, facing an uncertain financial future and dwindling acting prospects, he is forced to accept a rather lucrative offer to appear at the birthday party of a wealthy fan played by Pedro Pascal. Intending to retire after the party appearance rids him of his debts, Cage finds himself recruited by CIA agents Vivan (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin (Ike Barinholtz) to provide intelligence on his superfan, whom they believe to be a notorious drug smuggler. 

As is the case in Hollywood, nothing is as it initially appears in this film. It is a continually evolving storyline that boasts enough twists, turns, and surprises to please and win over even the most ardent of skeptics. In some ways, the film plays as a less cerebral, but still clever and creative, version of Being John Malkovich (1999) and it is often just as rewarding as that similarly “heady” film proved to be. 

Director Tom Gormican (who co-wrote the script with Kevin Etten) finally delivers on the initial promise of his 2014 film That Awkward Moment with a triumphant return to feature directing after a lengthy tour producing a variety of television programs (including serving as executive producer of Ghosted from 2017-18). 

Nicolas Cage and Tiffany Haddish in “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.” Photo Credit: Karen Ballard.

There is an instant likability of Mr. Cage established by the film at the start that carries through until the very end and ultimately turns everyone watching into a superfan similar to Pedro Pascal. In essence, you find yourself rooting for the man to succeed and overcome any obstacles that life is currently bombarding him with. His character is not played as one of tragedy, and that makes it all the more entertaining and rewarding to see him grow as a person during the course of the film until ultimately reclaiming his self-worth by the end of the film. 

Even though one may be inclined to dismiss The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent as an examination of the cult of personality, it proves itself a far more thoughtful and entertaining experience than that. There is a reverence present for the persona of Nicolas Cage to be sure, but the actor is so in on the fun that it is hard not to get caught up in that exuberance as well.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

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