Warning: Spoilers for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent ahead.
Nic Cage's first movie where he plays himself, but it is the first to touch upon a lot of his real-life public issues, as well as to poke fun at the perception a number of audiences have about him. It is a deeply meta and humorous approach to the actor's life and career, including cinematic achievements and pitfalls.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent follows down-on-his-luck actor Nick Cage, who is best known for his eccentric and unhinged film performances. Nick even has an insane alter ego named Nicky, who frequently yells at him to he's a movie star. In order to pay off a massive amount of debt, Nick agrees to attend Unbearable Weight character Javi Gutierrez's (Pedro Pascal) birthday party for a million dollars as Gutierrez is a mega-fan. Over the course of his stay, Nick and Javi develop a friendship and write a screenplay together as Nick works undercover on a mission from the CIA. The film evolves from a character study into an action blockbuster, the same premise Nick predicts will happen in his and Javi's story.
Cage is perhaps the most memed actor online, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent showcases that he is well aware of the internet's obsession with and appreciation for him, even if he may not understand it. The fact that the fictionalized, washed-up version of Cage speaks to Nicky, the past celebrity bordering on deranged version of himself, acknowledges he can make fun of himself. Most memes and video compilations feature Cage's commitment to intensity and bombastic acting, including Cage's deadpan delivery of ridiculous lines, exaggerated expressions, and memorable movie freak-outs. The most apparent meta-reference to a Nicolas Cage movie is his Wicker Man meme, which comes late in the film. Cage mentions that his belt could have had a particular insect and quotes, "Not the bees!" from the 2006 horror movie remake. The "Not the Bees" meme has been circulating for several years and is one of the most well-known Nic Cage memes, including the "You Don't Say" meme from 1988's Vampire's Kiss, where Cage plays a yuppie literary agent convinced he's transforming into a vampire. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent may very well spawn another freak-out meme when Nicky vociferously proclaims he's "Nick f***ing Cage."
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent also confirms that Cage can control the narrative behind the memes and how he's perceived in his films. In a recent interview, Cage says "There was an element of that in it. I think it was a way of embracing what had happened to me," though he its "the fascination ... with my face or facial expressions that happen in these memes" is lost on him (via Mandy. These little nods and other references to Nic Cage's films just show that Cage is welcome to any and all iterations of his often absurd on-screen persona.
Though Cage famously turned down starring in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent a number of times, he was the only actor who could play the fictionalized version of himself authentically. It doesn't look like the wealth of memes centered around Cage will let up anytime soon, judging by Cage's turn as Dracula in Renfield. For now, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent stands as a testament to his legacy and enduring popularity with audiences, outrageous memes included.
