The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
A ways back when I posted the teaser for this film, I expected it to be a whole lot of things. Fun, stupid, over the top. Nicolas Cage playing himself, what else could it be. Apparently he turned down the role three or four times before taking it. I don't know if that means he should be given the credit I wanted to give him for being able to make fun of himself or not, but that's besides the point. I expected this to be the most fun I had with a film in a while.
A longer ways back, my expectations of a film were wildly subverted. The difference is, with The Last Jedi, I expected a bad Empire remake, and I got a movie that made me think Attack Of The Clones was a good idea, and nothing ever should make anyone feel like that. Here I expected good things in a certain way, and expectations were once again subverted.
Except in a good way. Out of all the things I expected of this film, it being a legitimately good movie was definitely not among them. Funny that, but somehow, it is. It's well executed, the actors are all delightfully into and great in their roles, particularily Pedro Pascal who is just the best. Hell, there's a digitally de-aged, super creepy Nicolas Cage appearing every now and then who is giving his hammiest performance, and as a bonus, Cage actually says "not the bees" in the film.
The film just works in every way. As a silly comedy, as a Nicolas Cage action film, and as an adult character drama. Yes, this is partially a meta joke, but not entirely. It really is all that, in a nice package that's good looking, and it certainly deserved more than not even making its budget back at the box office. Looks like Nicolas Cage's handler was right in the film. There simply is no place for adult character dramas without mass appeal any more. I guess the action at the end was too little, too late, or the film was too much of everything and delightfully meta at the same time for most.
I don't know. All I know is that I expected this to be the most fun I had with a live action film in a while, and that was true - and it was also a good deal more. If anyone of you liked 7 Psychopaths, give this a try.