Nicolas Cage Wants To Know Why He Stopped Getting Comedy Roles, And So Do We
Feel free to call it a comeback, because Nicolas Cage is back in the comedy game, baby. The actor, who is equally well-known for his balls to the wall action roles as his madcap comedy characters, has been getting weird in all the best ways over the last few years. Between the surreal, heavy metal horror, "Mandy," and the heart-wrenching drama, "Pig," Cage has been like a bird decorating his nest with indie darlings, but it was only a matter of time before he was called back into the comedy limelight.
His most recent film "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" harkens back to both of Cage's acting tent polls: high-octane action films like "Con Air" and laugh-out-loud comedies like "Raising Arizona." The film follows Cage (delightfully playing himself) who is struggling financially and decides to take on an unusual gig in order to help out his cash flow. The catch? Said gig involves him making an appearance at his biggest fan's (Pedro Pascal) party. The other catch? Pascal is also a cartel boss. As you can imagine, things get weird, wild, and wonderful.
The comedy king
As nice as it is to see Cage back in his zone, it also begs the question, what took him so long? According to an interview with the Los Angeles Times (via Indiewire), Cage has been asking the same question:
"I've been scratching my head a little bit as to why Hollywood wasn't offering me comedies anymore ... 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?' I think this movie will help with that."
Where did that go? It's clear that Cage has the comedic chops, he steals scenes in the aforementioned "Raising Arizona" and "Moonstruck," and if you haven't seen "Valley Girl," one of his first films, you're in for a weird hasn't-entirely-aged-well treat with that one. Fun fact, for a long time my phone background was a still of Cage from "Valley Girl," and strangers would sometimes ask me if it was a picture of my boyfriend. I wish!
If "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" is Cage's official re-entry into the world of comedy, I have one incredibly specific and probably unlikely request ... Could he once more (with feeling) team up with Cher for "Moonstruck: 2 Moon 2 Struck" or "Moonstruck 2: Night Fever" or "Moonstruck 2: Moon Stricken" or something? I'm dying to see him pop on that wooden hand, throw on a white tank top, and carry Cher around his bakery like a sack of flour, and I feel deeply in my bones that I am not alone. It's time to give the people what they want.