two sides of unlikability

Two of the better films I've seen this year have been Nicolas Cage vehicles that tell the tales of men doing less-than-honorable jobs at making their ways through life. Lord of War was - as they tend to say - a tour-de-force about an arms dealer who wrestles with his occupation, how it affects those closest to him and the impact it has upon his very soul. The Weather Man, which opened Friday, is about a man whose occupation requires far less effort, yet who hasn't made great strides in his personal life and is left with a very empty, stumbling existence. Both men try to do some things right, or as you and I would deem them right, and in some instances they make baby steps of progress and in others they fall flat. Lord of War is the superior film - it is the cold steel bullet that would easily shatter The Weather Man's sad archer.

But both films are highly recommended for the fact that Nicolas Cage is strong as ever - an affecting cinematic presence in films that deserve attention (whether they get them or not). I was concerned after a string of action-oriented films that - while enjoyable - weren't up to the caliber of material that I came to know Cage for. If you consider every film he starred in up to the Oscar winner (Leaving Las Vegas), he rarely went for the easy game. But statue in hand, there were strings of clunky, loud popcorn-machines. And let me reiterate: they were all enjoyable movies. But now, films like Adaptation, LoW and TWM have (in this writer's humble opinion) elevated him back to a plane of dramatic content that feels a little more weighty. There's some heft to the ride, and I highly suggest you seek out these films and give them a shot.