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A bizarre metamorphosis has settled in with Nic Cage over the last three years. There is less and less about his onscreen manner or behavior which one would call "sane" if one were to encounter it in real life. His rigid, feet-in-cement, lunatic-asylum personality in Knowing confirms this, I'm afraid. Cage's characters have become so loco-weed that he seems to have crossed into cuckoo-land in his actual life.

Which makes him seem not quite of this earth. I'm not trying to insult or degrade the guy. I'm saying there's a beyond-Klaatu qualty to the men Cage has portrayed in The Wicker Man, Ghost Rider, the National Treasure movies, Bangkok Dangerous and Knowing. It's like some virus has gotten into his system, like a pod was placed next to his bed in '05 or '06 and another life form took over.

Cage, of course, has always played guys who were eccentric or vaguely wackazoid in some way. It's what I've always loved about him. Leaving Las Vegas, Matchstick Men, Vampire's Kiss, Adaptation, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Con Air, Bringing Out The Dead, 8MM, Snake Eyes, Face/Off -- these were films in which Cage played curious nutters but conveyed at the same time that he had a passing acquaintance with off-screen sanity, or at least the manner and behavior of a relatively "normal" guy. As committed as Cage has always been to the reality of the character, you believed he was performing a part.

No longer. Now a Nic Cage movie means you're in for less of what narrative movies tend to do (a mixture of acting, story, pacing and atrmosphere) and more of an alternate-reality trip in the form of a behavioral study of a guy who's become a kind of stone-faced alien zombie trying to pretend like he's human and doing a half-decent job of it, but with the zombie part getting more and more determined to run the show. That's what's been happening since The Wicker Man. Tell me I'm wrong.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 20, 2009 at 11:46 AM

comment #1

Jeremy Fassler says ...

What's the only thing worse than a new Nic Cage movie?

A Nic Cage toupee.

Posted by Jeremy Fassler at March 20, 2009 12:43 PM

comment #2

ZayTonday says ...

http://img.golivewire.com/ib/229402_t.jpg

His hair is a bird, therefore your argument is invalid.

Posted by ZayTonday at March 20, 2009 12:48 PM

comment #3

Rich S. says ...

Cage has always been off his nut. Sailor in Wild at Heart, anyone? But at least back then, you could tell he was acting.

Posted by Rich S. at March 20, 2009 12:55 PM

comment #4

George Prager says ...

C'mon, Nic, how about a ZANDALEE II?

Posted by George Prager at March 20, 2009 12:58 PM

comment #5

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

Nic Cage for the Richard Dreyfuss role in a "reboot" of Close Encounters.

Posted by MikeSchaeferSF at March 20, 2009 1:00 PM

comment #6

George Prager says ...

What's next for Nic? You'll see him in Dominic Sena's Season of the Witch, Jon Turteltaub's The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and something called Kick-Ass. Nice career trajectory, dumbass! You couldn't fit in a Sandra Bullock movie in there somewhere? FUCK YOU, CAGE!!!!!!!!!

Posted by George Prager at March 20, 2009 1:04 PM

comment #7

Jeffrey Wells says ...

No need for overt hostility. I was trying to project an air of observational concern as the man has seemingly changed his genetic code.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at March 20, 2009 1:10 PM

comment #8

Sabina E says ...

That's what happen when you come from a famous family and you've become so jaded by many years working in Hollywood. I've been hearing rumors that he wants to quit, but it doesn't look like that from some new projects he's signed onto.

Posted by Sabina E at March 20, 2009 1:11 PM

comment #9

Geoff says ...

That would be great MikeSchaeferSF, as long as they don't redraw that character too much. He needs to be a horrible lunatic father and husband.

Posted by Geoff at March 20, 2009 1:12 PM

comment #10

JT says ...

career trajectory? His films make MILLIONS, folks. LOTS ofthem, too. Face it: the Cage of ADAPTATION is dead and gone. What we have left is a guy making $20 mil a pic to not just phone it in, but I-PHONE it in. Pity.

Posted by JT at March 20, 2009 1:14 PM

comment #11

actionman says ...

To be fair to Cage, working with Herzog can't hurt. And Kick-Ass sounds very...well...kick-ass. But yeah, he's been off his ass of late.

I want more performances like the one he gave in Matchstick Men, which is one of the most underrated movies of the decade. For realz.

Posted by actionman at March 20, 2009 1:17 PM

comment #12

Joshua Mooney says ...

I think you're essentially exactly right, but my question would be: when did this "shift," as you describe it, happen? Because I wonder if it wasn't just a slow, inexorable movements towards the inevitable, as opposed to a dramatic change. The first time he really got extra notice -- I mean apart from being an interesting young actor -- was when he ate the cockroach in "Vampire's Kiss." His project choices took an odd turn after the Oscar, which at the time I thought was predictable. Yet he continued down a weird path (in other words, I got "The Rock," but not "Con Air" as the follow-up) and he never got off it. It's not a question of action movies. I love action movies but don't think Cage is particularly GOOD in them. And then it just got weirder. I know nothing about his personal life, except his divorces. Frankly, I assume he's bi-polar like his uncle. It's genetic. It would explain a lot. That's not a diss against BPD sufferers. I've been in love with two (at least).

Posted by Joshua Mooney at March 20, 2009 1:21 PM

comment #13

Josh Massey says ...

The shift didn't happen - he's always been like this. The movies just aren't as good anymore.

Posted by Josh Massey at March 20, 2009 1:28 PM

comment #14

rr3333 says ...

I'm with Josh. He's always been wacky. I think we think he's gotten weirder because his hair has gotten weirder.

His toupee choices in Weather Man and Bangkok Dangerous were so completely ridiculous that we think he's completely gone off the deep end, when in fact, he's always been wacky, its his hair choices were just a bit better back then.

We like him in Adaptation because he didnt wear a wig in that movie. He was more believable and relatable without that ferret on top of his head.

The guy wont quite because the money's too good. Once his movies stop making money, either he'll quit the biz or he'll do more indie films and reclaim his position as a good actor.

Regardless, anyone that names his kid Kal-El has to be off his rocker.

Posted by rr3333 at March 20, 2009 1:42 PM

comment #15

televisiontears says ...

To me, this whole thing is about looks. Cage isn't the cutest boy in class by a long shot, and the default joke about his recent films is always his awful hair. On the other hand, Angelina Jolie has a great performance in a decent film (Girl, Interrupted) and spends the rest of her life sleepwalking her way through piece of shit after piece of shit. But she does this while looking like some divine sex goddess, while Cage looks like the creepy older guy mumbling to himself at the Animal Collective show.

He's given a number of wonderfully varied performances in the past, he's just done a few really terrible films in the last few years. Give him a break.

Am I the only one who really enjoyed The Weather Man?

Posted by televisiontears at March 20, 2009 1:42 PM

comment #16

Joshua Mooney says ...

Agreed, Massey, as I previously said. But I guess the real diffrence between Cage and Coppola is that when Francis ran amok, he was forced by the Hollywood powers-that-be to put up his own money, and so went bankrupt because of "Apocalypse," "One From the Heart," "Cotton Club," etc. (I love all three movies.) Whereas Cage has cost Hollywood considerbaly more in terms of bombs than Francis ever did. Without having to take comparable risks. Of course, Hollywood enabled Cage by paying him A-list money and greenlighting his star power. There's enough blame to go around. Whatever. But I'll always respect and admire Coppola for what he put on the fucking line to get "Apocalypse" finished. What other genius/madman has done as much for the glory of cinema, besides Herzog and Von Stroheim?

Posted by Joshua Mooney at March 20, 2009 1:46 PM

comment #17

televisiontears says ...

By the way, a Google search for "Nicholas Cage hair" turns up 594,000 hits. I guess that tells you something.

Posted by televisiontears at March 20, 2009 1:47 PM

comment #18

Mark says ...

City of Angels certainly didn't help matters. He realized that he could be a leading man, lacking any credible human characteristic, and get away with it. I felt like i was in on the joke up until that movie.

Posted by Mark at March 20, 2009 1:49 PM

comment #19

eoguy says ...

Nic Cage has always rubbed me the wrong way. He fits in great in certain parts, but for everything else he's a mistake in a flawed movie. From National Treasure to Gone in 60, he's a ham to some infinite degree. I see community theatre in his future.

Posted by eoguy at March 20, 2009 1:54 PM

comment #20

maxfm says ...

Here, here for The Weather Man.

Wonderful movie.

Now proceed with more remarks about his hair.

Posted by maxfm at March 20, 2009 2:01 PM

comment #21

Mr. Muckle says ...

I love how doofuses like Prager think life is all about snarking some unfortunate multimillionaire whenever he gets permission from a body like Wells (although thanks for the right-minded comeback on him, JW). Like it's the frickin' Jim Rome radio show, thanks for the vine Rome, welcome to the jungle, have a take, don't suck, idiot SoCal snarky bullshit.

That said, by now any Cage movie has certainly got beware tattooed on its tit, although you have to give him credit for some truly good films in the process. Is his hit/miss ratio really that low compared to anyone else working as much? Anyway, I have to give Knowing a big pass considering that it's sci-fi and there's precious little of that to watch. Even bad sci-fi is better than none. Proyas is good at it and I don't know what's so wrong with I, Robot if you don't compare it to Asimov's original story.

And anyone earning Cage's kind of money in today's world is bound to be out of touch with reality.

Posted by Mr. Muckle at March 20, 2009 2:11 PM

comment #22

rr3333 says ...

I hate to compare Tom Hanks and Nic Cage here, but I believe as the more successful they've both become and the more money they've made, they've become less real as actors, because they're further insulated from the real world.

The Tom Hanks that did 'Nothing In Common' and the Tom Hanks that did 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Charlie Wilson's War' is not the same guy anymore. He's nowhere near as good an actor anymore because he cant play it 'real' anymore.

Cage's 'transformation' seems more profound because he's a genuine eccentric to boot.

Posted by rr3333 at March 20, 2009 2:11 PM

comment #23

George Prager says ...

Mr. Muckle: Bite a fart.

Posted by George Prager at March 20, 2009 2:13 PM

comment #24

George Prager says ...

Cage is in Burt Reynolds in the 80s territory now.

Posted by George Prager at March 20, 2009 2:14 PM

comment #25

arturobandini2 says ...

Yeah, he's been odd forever. About 20 years ago I came around a blind curve in Laurel Canyon and nearly had a head-on with him. He was idling in the MIDDLE of the road, talking on what looked like an early cell phone. I had to honk before he let me pass.

He became certifiable not when he named his kid after Superman, nor looted the Presley family jewels, but when he sued Kathleen Turner (over a technicality) for writing that he was so loco, he kidnapped a chihuahua during Peggy Sue. His overreaction proved that Turner was speaking to a larger truth.

Posted by arturobandini2 at March 20, 2009 2:14 PM

comment #26

Mr. Muckle says ...

Whatup, George. ;-)

Posted by Mr. Muckle at March 20, 2009 2:16 PM

comment #27

dangovich says ...

I think hair is a legitimate point of discussion with actors. In real life, a certain type of guy wears a rug or hair plugs. I'm not saying a good guy or a bad guy, just a certain type of guy. The problem occurs when the actor with the 'piece is playing a CHARACTER who would never wear a 'piece. Actors should be willing to go to whatever ends necessary to capture the character, even if it means losing the rug. Granted, plugs are more problematic, since I'm assuming they can't be removed.

Posted by dangovich at March 20, 2009 2:52 PM

comment #28

Joshua Mooney says ...

Mr. Muckle: That's obviously scripted. BAAAAAAANNNHH! But seriously, you seemed ready to make some valid points. We look forward to them.

rr3333: I think you're straining with your comparison to Hanks. I've been surprised, yet gratified, that he's done as much good work as he has after those back-to-back Oscars, including "Ryan" "13" and "Castaway." Among a couple others. I'd agree that he's doing crap now, and he needs to step back and reassess his career, do some solid work in some indies, or something, and win another Oscar maybe -- he's young enough to have a soild rebirth. But the problem is, in this era of Hollywood, nobody ever steps back and reassesses their career and starts doing great work as they once did. Once they become superstars. I'm not talking about women, who are fucked after 40, no pun intended, and I'm certainly not tlaking about Bette Davis. But even the actors who, out of desperation, try to regroup and get real again -- Kevin Costner, maybe -- don't seem to have much luck. I think Hanks has still got some great performances in him. Hell, when he was still doing crap, people like Costner and Cage were the Next Big Thing. And which of the three would I rather have dinner with, or babysit my children? Hanks. That matters. Well it matters to me.

Posted by Joshua Mooney at March 20, 2009 2:56 PM

comment #29

Josh Massey says ...

The thing is, there's going to be the occasional diamond with Cage. Lord of War was amazing.

Posted by Josh Massey at March 20, 2009 3:27 PM

comment #30

Jesse Perry says ...

The only thing that's changed with Cage is his bank account. We're witnessing a comfortable, complacent lunatic.

Posted by Jesse Perry at March 20, 2009 3:54 PM

comment #31

ZayTonday says ...

Lord of War and The Weather Man were both great

Posted by ZayTonday at March 20, 2009 4:53 PM

comment #32

Gordon27 says ...

"We like him in Adaptation because he didnt wear a wig in that movie. He was more believable and relatable without that ferret on top of his head."

I have a hard time believing that his hair in that movie wasn't a wig, and I find it impossible to believe that it was neither a wig *nor* a ferret on top of his head.

Posted by Gordon27 at March 20, 2009 5:47 PM

comment #33

MovieBob says ...

I like Cage, and I REALLY like Cage as the leading-man in otherwise disposable "insert well-known white guy here" genre films like National Treasure or Next: His "off-ness" immediately makes the film more interesting, something few name stars can lay claim to.

That said, I don't think he "works" for Knowing. Having just come from it, my immediate observation is that I'm AMAZED at how little of the film is given away in the trailers (seriously, if you've only seen the previews you have NO FUCKING IDEA how massive a dive this thing takes into big-idea metaphysical-scifi, and how much deeper it keeps swimming afterwards... the people going in expecting "Number 23" or whatever are going to feel SKULL-FUCKED by this flick) but that it should've had a more "straight" lead actor. We're supposed to be watching this guy go from cynical scientist to complete "what is reality?" psychological breakdown territory, and it's slightly less effective when the guy ENTERS the film already as "on the edge" as Cage plays him.

Posted by MovieBob at March 21, 2009 12:20 AM

comment #34

TVMCCA says ...

In terms of Cage's recent ultracommercial film choices, one has to give props to GHOST RIDER for being the most expensive Sam Katzman production that Sam didn't live to produce.

Posted by TVMCCA at March 21, 2009 2:33 AM

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comment #37

free games says ...

C'mon, Nic, how about a ZANDALEE II?

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comment #38

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comment #41

dd says ...

Having just come from it, my immediate observation is that I'm AMAZED at how little of the film is given away in the trailers (seriously, if you've only seen the previews you have NO FUCKING IDEA how massive a dive this thing takes into big-idea metaphysical-scifi, and how much deeper it keeps swimming afterwards... the people going in expecting "Number 23" or whatever are going to feel SKULL-FUCKED by this flick) but that it should've had a more "straight" lead actor. We're supposed to be watching this guy go from cynical scientist to complete "what is reality?"

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comment #45

jbrn says ...

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comment #46

Jack Sparrow says ...

I have a hard time believing that his hair in that movie wasn't a wig, and I find it impossible to believe that it was neither a wig *nor* a ferret on top of his head.

Posted by Jack Sparrow at December 27, 2010 10:31 PM

comment #47