75 per cent chance of enjoyment, emotion
Directed by Gore Vibranski, of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, The Weatherman is a modern day Death Of A Salesman, minus the suicide and flute solo interludes, replaced by archery and drive-by fast food throwing. Starring Nicholas Cage and Michael Caine, Vibranski's truly masterful film follows the life of a 40-something television weatherman as he struggles with life's existential dilemmas. A far cry from his days as a regular John Hugh's extra, Cage exemplifies the perfectly American nervous breakdown. In a performance matched only by Caine's depiction of a no-nonsense intellectual of whom Sartré himself would be proud, Cage's finely tuned dramatic skill absolutely shines throughout the whole film.
With its indie film sensibility and marketable highbrow humour, the sophisticated cinematic synthesis of ticket selling gags and introspective scripting may not please all moviegoers. The extended nature of the comedy, though typical of the genre, may leave those expecting obvious humour and an action-packed plot demanding a refund. However, those willing to brave the somewhat drawn out aspects of the film will be rewarded with 19th century-esque glove slapping, entire soliloquies of strung together cuss words and an encyclopedic definition of the “camel toe” as delivered by Michael Caine himself. Not to mention a stunningly witty, moving and intimate look into the life of a failing pursuer of perhaps hopeless American ideals and values.