I guess the hope for “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” was it was going to be “Being Nicholas Cage” a la “Being John Malkovich.”
Alas, the massive weight proved unbearable for actual Nicholas Cage fans. The indie movie, released by Lions Gate, was looking for an $8 million start over the weekend. It fell quite short with just $7.1 million.
Cage is eccentric beyond the meaning of the word. His best work is long ago. He’s made dozens of B or C movies in the last few years, has had several wives, and many stories about financial peril. That’s his career since winning an Oscar decades ago for his portrayal of an alcoholic gambler in “Leaving Las Vegas.” He is trying to make a comeback, maybe. Another release, “Pig,” which I could not navigate, earned a recent career high of $3.8 million in limited release. It also brought Cage some nice reviews after a decade or more in the wilderness.
So the idea of spoofing him probably seemed like a good one. “Massive Talent” is a terrible title and one no one can remember or understand. Still, it’s managed to pull an 88 on Rotten Tomatoes. So that’s something. Our own Leah Sydney really liked it. But the film seems like it’s destined for streaming or VOD cult fan status.
