There is no other working actor out there who would better convince you that a guy with a lucrative job that only takes him 2hours a day, pays 240K a year , makes him some sort of local celebrity (which is quite big considering that locale is Chicago, IL) and gives him the prospect of even more spectacular job for the morning show "Hello America" in NYC, may be as depressed, self-loathing, and confused as Nicolas Cage in the role of David Spritz, the TV Weather Man, and the main character of Gore Verbinsky's 2005 often sad and dark but frank, insightful, and ultimately funny comedy.
I believe that the movie was grossly mis-advertised and its trailer pulled the clips out of the content to give a potential viewer the idea of the slapstick comedy with many laughs that come from Cage been thrown at all kinds of fast food by his anti-fans. What some viewers did not expect to see - a somber, dreary and gray looking film and the characters that match the film visual palette perfectly. We will follow David Sprith on the streets of Windy City of Chicago during one never-ending rainy and showy winter while he tries to reconnect with his estranged wife, to understand better his 12-years-old daughter and a teenager son and to get closer to his Pulitzer Prize winner father (Michael Caine), "the national treasure" by the words of President Carter, who is dying from lymphoma. The film explores aging, loneliness, longing, emotional crises, and self doubt and more than once brings to mind John Cheever's observation: "The main emotion of the adult American who has had all the advantages of wealth, education, and culture is disappointment." There are a lot of disappointments, regrets and unhappiness in the characters of "The Weather Man", especially its main character, David Spritz but the film is not depressing or hopeless thanks to the finesse and artistry of Cage's performance and to his very unique low key dry humor with which he provides the insights in his character's inner world. "The Weather Man" is one of the movies that use voice-over effectively and along with Cage, the writer Steve Conrad should be credited for providing the hilarious stream of thought. One of the David's silent monologues, "Tartar sauce", is so incredibly funny and masterful that James Joyce himself would've rejoiced had he heard it. Michael Caine deserves equal praise for depth, irony, and a lot of heart that he brings in the role of David's father whose approval David always craved. The last scene between Caine and Cage reminded me of the similar scene between Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in "The Godfather" - not because the characters were similar but by its emotional impact and perfect chemistry between two actors.
I believe that the movie was grossly mis-advertised and its trailer pulled the clips out of the content to give a potential viewer the idea of the slapstick comedy with many laughs that come from Cage been thrown at all kinds of fast food by his anti-fans. What some viewers did not expect to see - a somber, dreary and gray looking film and the characters that match the film visual palette perfectly. We will follow David Sprith on the streets of Windy City of Chicago during one never-ending rainy and showy winter while he tries to reconnect with his estranged wife, to understand better his 12-years-old daughter and a teenager son and to get closer to his Pulitzer Prize winner father (Michael Caine), "the national treasure" by the words of President Carter, who is dying from lymphoma. The film explores aging, loneliness, longing, emotional crises, and self doubt and more than once brings to mind John Cheever's observation: "The main emotion of the adult American who has had all the advantages of wealth, education, and culture is disappointment." There are a lot of disappointments, regrets and unhappiness in the characters of "The Weather Man", especially its main character, David Spritz but the film is not depressing or hopeless thanks to the finesse and artistry of Cage's performance and to his very unique low key dry humor with which he provides the insights in his character's inner world. "The Weather Man" is one of the movies that use voice-over effectively and along with Cage, the writer Steve Conrad should be credited for providing the hilarious stream of thought. One of the David's silent monologues, "Tartar sauce", is so incredibly funny and masterful that James Joyce himself would've rejoiced had he heard it. Michael Caine deserves equal praise for depth, irony, and a lot of heart that he brings in the role of David's father whose approval David always craved. The last scene between Caine and Cage reminded me of the similar scene between Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in "The Godfather" - not because the characters were similar but by its emotional impact and perfect chemistry between two actors.