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March 22, 2009 8:46 AM

'A Nicolas Cage we could use'

"Cage was the most interesting actor in American movies," a Postie writes today. Then begin the action movie. "And so it has been, with few detours from the action star/blockbuster track upon which Cage has trod with particularly graceless aplomb, and virtually no humor at all, except on top of his head, where his hair is continual source of mirth and mystery, because you never know what it's going to do, where it's going to go or to whom it once belonged."

The writer calls for a quick return to Nic Cage decision-making of old. The reviews for Knowing are mostly negative, and Ebert gives it four stars because he likes big-dumb movies and the science, which as you would expect is fine by me. But it's interesting how many of Friday's reviews do mini-examinations of Cage's career. Has Knowing become the tipping point for his quiet bad-awesome run? The movie is likely to win the box office this weekend. Thanks to Melissa for the Post link.

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2 responses ...

  1. Laura says:
    March 22nd, 2009 at 9:35 AM

    As we discussed, the craptacular actor results from a string of bad decisions. I think he's too far gone to return to the Cage of old. He's need some massive washout, public humiliation followed by remorse for people to care about him as an actor again.

  2. Patrick says:
    March 22nd, 2009 at 9:42 AM

    EW has a thought along those lines this weekend:

    In his cheesy paycheck films, Cage always seems to be cast as some sort of boozing, disheveled film-noir lost soul, and the roles have added up over time into a kind of unconscious confessional symbolism. It’s as if Cage were saying that he’s aware of the toll his sell-out is taking on him. But speaking of confession, maybe he’s about to come back to the fold again: One of his upcoming films is a remake of Abel Ferrara’s wrenchingly depraved, soul-on-the-hot-grill Bad Lieutenant (1992), which Werner Herzog is directing. With any luck, it will mark a return to the kind of high-wire acting that Cage has always done best. I’ve always wondered why he can’t do both at once: make those slovenly genre films that critics thumb their noses at but that rule the box office for a weekend, then turn around and do stunning independent work with a bold director who is breaking new ground. Maybe Bad Lieutenant will be that film. But either way, Cage is far too great an actor to ever leave us asking: When will Nicolas Cage make another good movie?

Thoughts?