Wenn Actionstars ihre eigene Karriere feiern, kann das wie in der THE EXPENDABLES-Reihe auch einmal gehörig daneben gehen. Andererseits kann Fanliebe auch Berge bewegen. MASSIVE TALENT bewegt sich irgendwo dazwischen und persifliert eine der größten Filmkarrieren der jüngsten Zeit. Nicolas Cage hat sich mit vielen grandiosen Werken in den Analen der Filmhistorie für immer eingetragen und zuletzt mehrfach bewiesen, dass man für Geld so ziemlich alles tut. Sein neustes Werk referenziert nun ausführlich seine gesamte Karriere und bietet uns eine herrliche Suche nach Anspielungen auf diverse Filmerfolge. Mit viel Selbstironie und einer etwas überflüssigen Actionstory, die eigentlich nur dafür da ist, einen roten Faden zu etablieren, gleichzeitig aber auch viel zu dominant einwirkt, erleben wir ein Werk, welches definitiv nur von Leuten geschaut werden sollte, die mehr mit dem Namen Nicolas Cage anfangen können, als ihn nur als Opfer der Klatschpresse zuzuordnen.

Unterm Strich erhalten wir somit einen Film, bei dem das originale US-Kinoposter bereits alles klar macht. Nicolas Cage übertrumpft alle anderen Figuren, Pedro Pascal schaut dumm aus der Wäsche, Tiffany Haddish und Neil Patrick Harris sind auch noch mit dabei, und Demi Moore findet neben B-Ware-Action gar keinen richtigen Platz im Film.

Wie hat Dir der Film gefallen? (1 Bewertungen, Durchschnitt: 8,00 von 10)

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Massive Talent ©2022 Leonine

Massive Talent ©2022 Leonine

Nicolas Cage is a quick-witted action hero, a subtle romantic, a comedy genius, a charmer and masters reading clues and learning from history like no other. At least, that’s how he is shown again and again in his countless films. In reality, however, the Hollywood star is not exactly down on his luck. Even though he has been involved in many works that will leave their mark on film history for many centuries to come, he has delivered quite a few film crutches in the past decade in particular that counteract his highly decorated image. However, this was mainly due to a lack of money, because despite some 150 million US dollars in fees that he has accumulated over the many years, he invested a lot of money in real estate at the beginning of the millennium and then became a victim of the real estate bubble. He was forced to sell a lot of his property and somehow had to get rid of the tax burden.

However, this year he announced that he was now rid of all debts and there were no more outstanding bills. So after several years of releasing 5-6 works a year, the fallen angel’s screen presence will now be reduced a little again. It is to be expected that upcoming films will again be subject to a certain standard of quality, which we have come to expect from the ever-popular actor who brought us films such as THE ROCK, CON AIR and FACE/OFF. MASSIVE TALENT, on the other hand, was initially ill-fated because, although director Tom Gormican is a big fan of Cage, the actor expressed clear scepticism when he heard that he could play himself in a film. It took a personal letter from the director to convince him to take part. In the end, his participation attracted other film stars like flies, which means that the film now has a top-class cast.

What it’s about…

The once celebrated Nicolas Cage’s best years are behind him. Instead of glitz and glamour, the former superstar now jumps from film to film, all of which have one thing in common: they are a qualitative disaster. But he needs the money to pay off his debts. But a door seems to open when billionaire and Nicolas Cage fan Javier Gutierrez makes him an offer he finds hard to refuse: to be the star guest at his birthday party for a very generous payment. What Cage doesn’t know is that Gutierrez has other things up his sleeve and wants him to star in his own film, so he sets everything in motion. Arriving at the home of the rich investor, however, Cage also encounters the CIA and thus gets further and further into an uncontrollable maelstrom of confusion, although all he wants is to have back the wonderful life he once led.

Review

It’s not often that a tribute to an acting person is embodied by the star in question himself. We last saw this with I’M STILL HERE, in which Joaquin Phoenix enacts his own career crash. Probably the most important work of this kind, however, is BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, whose film title already reveals who it is about. Now Nicolas Cage, who by the way appeared with Malkovich in CON AIR, joins the ranks and parodies his own film history. With MASSIVE TALENT, we get a film that tells an over-the-top and action-packed story that would probably not achieve much significance under normal circumstances. However, since this work not only takes a sweeping tour through Nicolas Cage’s film history, but downright portrays his life’s work and thus creates a feature film version of the recent past, MASSIVE TALENT stands out from other genre representatives early on.

Massive Talent ©2022 Leonine

In fact, Cage seems to have been given a new lease of life, because now that he has apparently closed a major chapter in his life, he shows himself in a whole new light and blabs more in his own homage than in all his recent films put together. Here he presents a kind of persiflage, which has a similar tone to Reynolds‘ recent action comedies KILLERS’S BODYGUARD and FREE GUY. Shallow humour is a key element here, and time and again Cage or his life’s work itself is taken for a ride and viewed in an ironic light. At the same time, however, the film also moves hair’s breadth on the border of over-the-top silliness, but generally manages not to cross it. To fully enjoy the fun, you should avoid watching the trailer before seeing the film, because once again there are far too many charming scenes.

Who can find them all?

Combined with a fantastic score, which includes works by Led Zeppelin, The Turtles and Blackpink, Tom Gormican here mixes retrospective with spy thriller and leaves no cliché out. Basically, this is an absolute fan film that offers its audience exactly what it expects. The prop set in particular makes every heart beat faster and ensures that we really go in search of small and loving references to other films. There are plenty to be found. Be it the torch from NATIONAL TREASURE, the pistols in FACE/OFF or the lottery ticket from IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU, almost nothing has been forgotten here. Some props were made and prepared again especially for the shoot.

Massive Talent ©2022 Leonine

In all the enthusiasm and passion for Cage’s career, however, MASSIVE TALENT unfortunately commits a major flaw. There is a compulsive attempt to foist a larger and all-connecting story onto the work. In principle, of course, a common thread is also very desirable, but in part the affinity for the story overshadows the charmingly humorous nature of Nicolas Cage’s multi-faceted performance, which does a nice job, but still acts far beyond its capabilities. So either the plot has drifted far too much and steals Cage’s self-indulgent show, or it doesn’t even go far enough and remains far too restrained with Cage’s very special and distinctive style in the dramaturgical climaxes. Some story developments let us guess again and again what could have been possible (keyword: disguise), but often exploit their potential far too little.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that we get a film for which the original US cinema poster already makes everything clear. Nicolas Cage trumps all the other characters, Pedro Pascal looks silly, Tiffany Haddish and Neil Patrick Harris are also in the mix, and Demi Moore finds no real place in the film at all apart from B-good action. And even if especially MASSIVE TALENT’s second half has a lot of problems, we still get a film full of fanservice that possibly heralds a new era of a film legend. It is absolutely fun to watch Cage, as he is not too shy for a gag and puts on a grandiose self-dramatisation, which at this point is placed just right. Nevertheless, there is clearly more potential in the film than was finally tapped, but who knows if the next decade won’t provide the occasion for a second part.

How did you like the movie? (1 Bewertungen, Durchschnitt: 8,00 von 10)

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Wie hat Dir der Film gefallen? (1 Bewertungen, Durchschnitt: 8,00 von 10)

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