What an odd duck of a movie. I'm not even sure how to review this thing. I mean, it's good, it's entertaining, it's well written (mostly), it's well acted, it's well directed, but I can't think of any friend or family member I'd recommend this film to.
Right off the bat I'll say Cage and Pascal are an incredible duo, this film is at its absolute best when these two actors are playing off each other.
The third act let's the whole thing down, but if you're a Cage fan this film is obviously worth it. If you're a film fan I'd recommend this too, there's a lot of discussion about Hollywood and the nature of acting and movies in this movie.
I'm going to give it a 7/10, but an odd duck 7/10. 🦆
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Alright so if you're here you either saw it or have no intention of seeing this odd duck, normally I assume people reading at this point saw the movie but I sincerely think a lot of people will be curious about this thing but not want to pay price of admission. Which is a shame! Because it's genuinely an artistic and well crafted odd duck.
The filmmaking is really good, the direction and cinematography give all these little and subtle nods to the filmography of Nicholas Cage and it's just so well done. The script does it more blatantly but some scenes I was like ah they're filming this in the exact style Gone in 60 Seconds or Face/Off did, that's really clever stuff and shows a commitment to this project that I really admire.
Nicholas Cage and Pedro Pascal runaway with this thing, Pascal actually might be upstaging Cage a little bit because he's just so damn good. He plays eccentric really well, which is obviously Cages bread and butter. But man, Pascal is such a talent.
No scene shows them both off quite like when they take LSD, it's hilarious. It's so so good, I was chuckling away from the moment the scene started. I think that scene is worth price of admission.
Oh and the comedy is this film is really good. If you're into movies and film you'll love a lot of these jokes. There is a joke in which Cage and Pascal are rating their favourite films, and Pascal says Paddington 2 as one of his favourite ever, which of course is a nod to Paddington 2 briefly being the perfect rated movie ever for a while (It is good to be fair). Also Cage as a spy when he knocks himself out is just brilliant physical comedy.
And then there's Nicky, the alter ego in Cages head that taunts him, generally gives him bad advice and thrives on his success. Nicky represents the narcissist that lives in all actors heads, or anyone that possesses the "look at me gene", nothing exemplifies this more than when he literally kisses himself. Need I say more?
The more I reflect on this odd duck the more I like this little thing. It's made by people like me, people that absolutely love movies. I mean, the downside is the whole time you're super aware you're watching a movie, like you're never lost in this thing because it's never not reminding you of the real world. I mean Cage is literally playing himself.
The third act loses a lot of its charm, which the film actually recognises and says earlier in the film with Pascal's script and the need for "mass appeal", but just cause you recognised it doesn't mean it didn't happen, it turns into a pretty bland experience in the third act and it's a real shame.
Oh and the How I Met Your Mother fan in me adores seeing Neil Patrick Harris whenever I can, his performance was Al- Wait for it...- Right. It was alright!
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this odd little duck and could see myself revisiting this when I want a laugh, it's a 8 or 9 out of 10 if you're the kind of person that goes to the cinema to see everything all the time.
Oh before I finish Nicholas Cage does what I do where be sleeps with his phone in his bed or near his pillow, I wonder if he too is listening to true crime/conspiracy theory/sports analysis YouTube videos?
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