The Weather Man (2005)

Only 3 stars because the film was too slow-moving until near the end

I would definitely recommend this film though. I think that the acting, casting and screenplay were all very good.
I can maybe guess that the film was so slow-moving because the main character was supposed to be depressed? But the main character was intelligent so the slowness wasn't plausible. November 9, 2008

The Weather Man Can

The Weather Man is a vastly underrated film. It's refreshing to see Nicholas Cage in the element that he excels best in - serious drama, and with a different hairdo at last. Armed with a terrific script that goes against the Hollywood grain, this is undoubtedly of Cage's finest performances ever, and one that should have put him up for an award.

Cage is David Spritz - the lost Weatherman who has to endure a downturn in life and face his biggest enemy: Himself. What drives the movie is a powerful script, strong direction, divine cinematography and great acting from all. Michael Caine is solid as Spritz's strong father, and Hope Davis as the estranged wife mans the dysfunctional family. Gemmenne de la Peña plays Shelly, the daughter that Spritz must learn to love.

The Weather Man is gripping stuff and not for casual viewers expecting a light film. Director Gore Verbinski does a great job in making a film about one man's disillusionment quirky yet real. He does a far better job with this than the abysmal Pirates of the Caribbean sequels.

Warning: most people who don't get the movie probably figure that Nicholas Cage is going to do an action movie turn with the cover. Appreciate him in this different turn. November 6, 2008

Under the Weather: take two aspirins and skip this movie

It is always easy to write a film review about a really bad film because there are so many things you can point to that don't work. In The Weatherman, veteran actor Michael Caine tries desperately to hide his cockney accent (it doesn't work); quirky actor Nicolas Cage wants his acting to be taken seriously (it isn't) and the vacuous script can not decide if it is comedy or drama (it is neither).

Director Gore Verbinski is obviously more comfortable when he knows his genre. He made huge successes of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He just could not grasp trying to make a film where the actors are not caricatures: where characters are supposed to have genuine depth and are realistically generating true emotion.

There are many asides that are supposed to have meaning: Spritz (the weatherman) keeps getting hit with fast food. Is this supposed to demonstrate that the characters life is less than other people's garbage? Or is it-- as it comes across-- vapid and disingenuous.

So, the asides are phony, the acting is abysmal, the dialogue is absolutely shallow and at times downright stupid. Spritz's monologue trying to demonstrate his thought patterns will make you want to shout enough!

The movie did not fare well at the box-office, despite the big names associated with it. I've got a few names for the film, but viewable is not one of them.

September 18, 2008

"Life without struggle is meaningless"

Nicolas Cage takes a break from all the awful big blockbuster action movies he does and chooses a role that reminds us why he won an Oscar in the first place (Remember his Oscar? It sure wasn't for "Next" or "Ghost Rider"!)

In this smallish, low key movie, directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean), Cage plays David Spritz, the titular Weatherman. David wears well tailored clothes, drives nice cars, lives in a very nice apartment and has a great job most people would kill for. He also feels miserable most of the time.

He is separated from his wife and he can't communicate with his kids, no matter how hard he tries. He dislikes what he does for a living and feels it's a sham.
On top of that, the one person he would most like to impress, his father (played by Michael Caine), clearly acts like he believes his son will never grow up or ever amount to anything.
In fact, David's life is so off track that when random strangers throw food at him in the street(!) it doesn't seem bother him that much.

From what you have read so far, you might have the impression that this is supposed to be some kind of comedy... it isn't. But it's no tragedy either.
So if it's neither funny nor tragic, what is it supposed to be? The only word I can think of to describe it is ... poignant

For example, there is a moment in the movie when his daughter tells him how she got her nickname which I found very touching. Being a father myself it reminded me how heartbreaking it is to not be able to protect your kids against life, but at the same time how easy it is to forget how resilient they actually are. In fact something I loved about the movie is how it portrays peoples' ability to surprise each other when least expected - and even surprise themselves every once in a while!

There are quite a few other things I could talk about, but I don't think they will help me convey just how good this movie is. I figure that if you're reading this you must be interested so just go for it, there's a good chance you'll enjoy it. July 27, 2008

One of Cage's Best

Cage is smarter than the average Hollywood schlump. His choices in projects shows that. This one is a cross between the more comedic "The Family Man" and the much darker "Adaptation" and actually borrows the latter's device of having the main character indulge in schizy voice-overs, racing thoughts that go through his mind. This is a very dark movie, not likely to satisfy the masses who want comedy and straight-forwardness. Rent if if you enjoy intelligent scripts that ask big questions about success, family, money and life. July 10, 2008

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