Sure, there’s “Cage Rage” but where’s the Cage comedy?
Screen legend Nicolas Cage revealed that even he is surprised it’s been a minute since his comedic chops have been on the big screen. The “Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” actor told the Los Angeles Times that with his decades-spanning career, it’s confusing that there seems to be a drought of comedies in theaters.
“I’ve been scratching my head a little bit as to why Hollywood wasn’t offering me comedies anymore,” Cage said. “I had done ‘Raising Arizona’ and ‘Honeymoon in Vegas’ and ‘It Could Happen to You’ and ‘Moonstruck.’ I was just sort of like, ‘Where did that option go?'”
Cage pointed to the indie film “Unbearable Weight,” adding, “I think this movie will help with that.”
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is an ode of sorts to Cage’s career: The “Con Air” alum plays a fictionalized version of himself who is trying to balance highbrow big-budget movies with arthouse films, and gets roped into being a CIA informant after he’s hired to party with an international arms dealer (Pedro Pascal).
Throughout the film, Cage is accompanied by his other alter ego, Nicky, a CGI de-aged version of himself circa his “Wild at Heart” era. Per the Los Angeles Times, Cage pitched the idea of his Nick character making out with Nicky in “hopes that scenes like those remind people, including studio executives, of his unique comedy chops,” the reporter noted. Cage also improvised an outrageously long F-bomb by way of Nicky.
Cage’s performance led to IndieWire’s Jude Dry calling “Unbearable” a “hilarious brom-com” and “one of the funniest movies of the year.”
Oscar winner Cage is not the only late-20th-century Hollywood icon to speak out against the shift in available comedy roles within Hollywood. Julia Roberts told New York Times Magazine that there is a drought of suitable romantic comedies in the modern film landscape.
“People sometimes misconstrue the amount of time that’s gone by that I haven’t done a romantic comedy as my not wanting to do one,” the Academy Award winner said. “If I had read something that I thought was that ‘Notting Hill’ level of writing or ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ level of madcap fun, I would do it.”
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is now in theaters.
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