It’s a fantastic time to be a movie fan. Yes, the best recent releases have all been semi-independent films, but they provide so much variety. It feels like a unique time (for a few weeks), where your options aren’t just another sequel or cape-flick. Also, if you haven’t yet seen Everything Everywhere All At Once, please stop reading this and go see it as soon as you can.
Now, let’s talk about what’s new in theaters this week.
The Northman
Alexander Skarsgård plays Amleth a Viking, who was destined to take over a kingdom until tragedy befell him. He is driven by fate to get revenge on the man who took his destiny away.
Director Robert Eggers (The VVitch, The Lighthouse) is one of the best new talents of the past few years. His films aren’t exactly created for wide audiences. Yet, he’s already developed unique visions that currently fit within the horror and psychological thriller worlds. He can be relied on for making films that are trippy, but unforgettable.
The Northman deviates from his other two films that can be viewed as purely for the arthouse crowd. It is easily his most accessible film. Sure, not everyone wants to see a Viking revenge epic with its unfair share of blood and violence, but it’s captivating, with its escalation in pacing and need for justice.
The story itself is fairly linear and what you’d come to expect of a revenge tale, essentially mirroring Hamlet. However, the layers around the script come with the world-building. These are real places rooted in actual history. These tribes have their own customs, songs, and pageantry. In the midst of it all is Skarsgård’s Amleth (Rearrange the letters). He sinks into this role in a way that few others could match. Even when he would like to escape his destiny, he knows that the cost of living a normal life might cost more than his pursuit of blood and personal destruction.
Joining Skarsgård in the cast is Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, and Claes Bang. Kidman sticks out like a Thor thumb, but her character is so complicated, that she doesn’t detract from the movie. Taylor-Joy is as reliable as ever and continues to be one of the most dynamic actresses today. Each of these characters build on the themes of trauma and what significant promises might do to haunt you if they’re not kept.
The Northman is dripping with mood and will keep your attention throughout. Possibly avoid it if you don’t care for a Hel-thy dose of violence. But, if you’re looking for beautifully bleak tale of what revenge can do to those who are wholly dedicated to it, this film will be your Valhöll. B+
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Yes, it’s this movie. Nicolas Cage plays Nicolas Cage in a very fictionalized story about how his real career and his years long slump has led him to rock bottom. He agrees to make a cameo at a birthday party for some quick cash, but finds himself in the middle of a greater danger involving the Spanish cartel and the CIA.
I almost wish this movie had been released before last year’s Pig. In Massive Talent, he claims that his career has never gone anywhere, but is desperate for a substantial critically loved character performance. Pig is the fulfillment of that cinematic wish. Massive Talent is a breezy buddy action-comedy that breaks the fourth wall with humorous results.
The unbearably hard to remember title starts off at a snail’s pace. We see Cage deal with the fallout of consistently disappointing his movie family and trying to deal with his agent. There are brief glimpses of Cage dealing with a heightened 90s version of himself that will delight fans of over-the-top Nic Cage (ala Ghost Rider, Face-Off).
It’s when Cage finally meets the birthday boy/cartel leader Javi (Pedro Pascal) where the movie hits its stride. Pascal plays Javi with an exuberant glee. He’s so taken with his favorite celebrity that he can’t concentrate on anything else. The plot reminds us at times of the political espionage happening behind the scenes, but there is nothing more important than the best friendship of Javi and Nic.
Writer/Director Tom Gormican knows how to satirize the career of Cage and it makes for some hilarious moments. (Even if the biggest laughs come from a Paddington 2 reference) The movie is rife with references to former blockbuster greats in his filmography and most of the jokes land. Yet, Massive Talent is missing a voice and style. It has all the cinematic quality of a TV series and it commonly forgets what theme it’s trying to fulfill. It’s in on the joke of trying to be more than your average entertaining movie, while only succeeding at being an average entertaining movie.
It’s been a few days since I’ve seen The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and I’ve already forgotten most of its scenes. However, I won’t forget the great buddy chemistry of Pascal and Cage. They are wonderful together and their counter-play is effortless. I’d happily watch this again with any Nicolas Cage fan. B
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