The Weather Man (R) ★★★★
Don't be fooled by the The Weather Man's marketing approach. It appears to be a laugh-riot comedy fueled by flying fast food and Nicolas Cage meltdowns. But the film is really a thoughtfully assembled, terrifically acted existential journey of a man coming to grips with his own mediocrity.
Story
Alternately funny and poignant, The Weather Man is the story of callow Chicago TV weather forecaster Dave Spritz (Cage), who--despite his seeming success--sees himself paling in comparison to his acclaimed author father (Michael Caine). He is also alienated from his soon-to-be-ex-wife (Hope Davis) and unable to bond with his disconnected kids. He even lacks a bond with his loyal viewers, who sometimes randomly fling fast food at him on the street. There are laughs in Spritz's anxious bids to connect with his kin, to be sure, but the film goes deeper and heavier than expected--and that's a good thing. Spritz's initially amusing attempt to bond with his daughter via her fleeting interest in archery turns symbolic after he becomes skilled at the sport. He embraces his bow and quiver as if they were much-needed proof that he's capable of change.
Acting
You've gotta hand it to Cage. Even after he's walked through such by-the-numbers action fare as National Treasure, his off-kilter but always razor-sharp acting instincts are never dulled when he tackles more substantial projects like Adaptation. The Weather Man is one of the latter, and while Spritz seems poised to be crushed by the weight of his emotional baggage, Cage effortlessly carries the movie on his shoulders. He is matched move-for-move by the wily veteran Michael Caine, who raises his always impressive game to pitch-perfection for this one. That buzzing sound you hear is the Oscar talk that's sure to swirl around both actors.
Direction
Director Gore Verbinski is best known for high-production scare-fests like The Ring and Pirates of the Caribbean, and while The Weather Man may seem a radical departure from blockbuster-style filmmaking, it's assembled with just as much care and precision. This time Verbinski's storytelling skills are bolstered more by strong performances rather than f/x. The end result has the dark, character-driven humor and emotional resonance of a Hal Ashby film like Being There, set against an artfully rendered Chicago cityscape. Indeed, Verbinski is so adept he makes not only the Windy City a genuine character in the film, he does so for the flung Frostys and French fries, marking him as a director whose eye is as on-target as one of Dave Spritz's arrows.
Bottom Line
Don't be fooled by the The Weather Man's marketing approach. It appears to be a laugh-riot comedy fueled by flying fast food and Nicolas Cage meltdowns. But the film is really a thoughtfully assembled, terrifically acted existential journey of a man coming to grips with his own mediocrity.
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