By Caleb Tiedenmann
Now I may absolutely adore film, but I have very high standards for what constitutes a “good” film, which is why I am always wary of films that fall into the comedy genre. However, when searching for movies to watch this year, I stumbled upon a film that goes by the name of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. After watching the trailer about a week before actually seeing the movie I was interested, and the marketing only made me more excited. So I sat down hoping to see something enjoyable and funny. Lucky for me, it was just what I wanted.
When it comes to comedy, you get a mix of movies. Many claim to be comedic, but are just worthless and unfunny outings. I am sure the first time a guy got hit in the crotch on TV was like Jesus healing the blind man to comedic writers who believed they struck gold. Now, let’s not deny, that is peak comedy, but today if you see that in a movie, it will not have nearly as funny of an effect as it did ten years prior. You’re probably wondering why I made this whole paragraph, but there is a point. The point being that Massive Talent is genuinely funny. It does not rely on cheap gags alone. It relies on the fact that you have some knowledge about film and culture.
The movie stars Nick Cage as Nick Cage (a daring casting choice) who is running out of luck and experiencing burnout. His career is dying as well as his marriage and relationship with his daughter. On the verge of financial collapse, he accepts an offer to make an appearance at a rich billionaire’s birthday party. However, there is a twist: the billionaire, Javi (played by Pedro Pascal) is a super fan of Nick Cage, as well as a crime lord wanted by the US government. While Nick is pestered for information about Javi, the two of them start to become close friends and form a wholesome brotherhood, attempting to write a movie together.
From that brief synopsis alone you can tell that this movie is already something interesting. The whole movie is one big love letter to two things: movies and film, and Nick Cage. There are multiple references to Nick Cage’s wacky and wild career, from his hits such as Face Off and The Rock to things like his voicework in Croods. It talks of movies, classic and non, poking fun at them and the cinematic “system.” Nick Cage is just awesome in this movie, he seems to enjoy his time on screen and really sells his act. But the star of this movie has to be Pedro Pascal as Javi. The whole time he acts like the biggest nerd and is super convincing in every way, I literally loved his performance.
The cinematography was just gorgeous as the whole movie takes place in an exotic country. The costumes were nothing special, but I just really love floral button ups so the whole movie was tailored to my choice of summer ware. The humor was funny and it had me laughing throughout the entire film. Overall, I strongly recommend the movie. If you do not want to take it from my word alone, check out the trailer because that was enough to convince me to see it. In my mind, it is the perfect 100 minutes to kick back and put your brain on autopilot. I strongly recommend the movie with one of the longest titles ever: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Final Grade: 9/10 (A-)
