In the March 2012 issue of GQ, the men’s lifestyle magazine published a plea asking John Cusack to get his career back on the right track. I would love to write a column on John Cusack, but this column is in reaction to the line from the issue: “When you are the crazy foil to Nic Cage, something has gone terribly wrong.”
As Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was recently released, I once again wonder at the misdirection of Cage. His acting style is infamous for its spastic tirades, and as GQ hinted, he’s kind of a lunatic.
However, Nicolas Cage deserves more credit. His movie selections aren’t by any means picky and his signature tantrums are laughable, but Cage shouldn’t be the butt of every joke involving bad taste in choosing movie roles.
Cage has had higher highs and lower lows than the rise and fall of Tony Montana in Scarface. He is the fifth youngest winner of an Oscar for Best Actor, yet he finds himself playing a 1,000 year-old wizard in the Disney film The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. How did things get this bad?
It started in the late ‘80s. Audiences were introduced to his caterpillar eyebrows and exasperated voice in Raising Arizona (1987), his big breakthrough film. Raising Arizona has my second favorite beginning to a movie ever, behind Goodfellas. Newer audiences will have a hard time recognizing his type of crazy in this movie: it’s goofy rather than maniacal.
The next eight years saw Cage marry an ageless Cher (Moonstruck), eat a cockroach while running down the street yelling “I’m a vampire” (Vampire’s Kiss), wear a fake mustache in a drugged stupor (Deadfall, which boasts a 0 percent rating on RottenTomatoes) and resort to playing someone with a short temper (Kiss of Death).
In 1995 Cage made his wisest (some would argue, only wise) move, and decided to play the lead role in Leaving Las Vegas, a movie about a man who moves to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. His performance was not overlooked; Cage won an Oscar for the film. According to GQ’s February 2011 issue, actors receiving a new Oscar acquire not only artistic clout but face value; it’s a matter of which bent they’ll indulge. Either they bank in on their now prestigious name or maintain an artistic integrity. Take a wild guess which direction Cage took.
And thus, Nicolas Cage became an action star!
It baffles me how someone with minimal sex appeal and an unathletic appearance can be in so many action movies. It helps that he’s been dealt a deal with the devil as Jerry Bruckheimer’s go-to minion for casting purposes. Cage has more of a braniac appeal, and has managed to make stealing the Declaration of Independence seem badass.
Recently, Cage has endured some major financial problems. It may seem hard to believe that a man who made $40 million in 2009 would fire his business manager, but only Nicolas Cage and Allen Iverson could make that statement believable. Cage blames a $13 million lawsuit from an ex-girlfriend and a habit of buying houses, the same way Wiz Khalifa buys marijuana, for his credit crisis.
This is why Cage has no artistic integrity. The same way a radio station going under won’t say no to an advertiser, Cage can’t say no to an offer. It’s hard to say no to getting millions of dollars for playing someone who’s crazy in a Disney movie (once again I’m referring to his role as Balthazar Blake in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). Who would?
People often cite Marlon Brando as the greatest actor of all time. More people need to realize that Brando had his share of publicized misses (Christopher Columbus: The Discovery) just as Cage did. Comparing him to Brando is a longshot, but Francis Ford Coppola, his uncle, directed The Godfather, Brando’s signature role, so they’re connected.
So the next time Nicolas Cage makes an ill-advised career move, don’t laugh. Respect his body of work and ask yourself, “When was the last time Nicolas Cage wasn’t entertaining?”
The answer is never. And stop taking him so seriously.
