I don’t hate Nicolas Cage. I’ve enjoyed enough of his performances to say that I do not hate his work as such. His H.I. McDonough in RAISING ARIZONA will live on throughout eternity, long after the tired bullshit of Clint Eastwood and Kevin Spacey and Brad Pitt have faded into dust.
Yea I dont hate him at all. He’s done some pretty good work actually and even at worst (Wicker Man), hes fucking hilarious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo
I enjoy Cage in certain films and he definitely deserves respect for taking some risky roles. Some of my favorites include:
Adaptation
The Weather Man
Matchstick Men
Nic Cage is not even in my 100 least favoite actors list (I don’t know that I actually have that list, but he wouldn’t be in it if I did). Besides, if for nothing else, you’ve got Raising Arizona and the “I’ll take pleasure in guttin’ you . . . BOY” bit from The Rock.
He won’t lent me money.
Because in the past +5 years (since Adaptation and Matchstick Men), pretty much all he’s done has been commercial shit: what will top the box office for 2 weeks before sinking into oblivion.
You know how when you see the words “Alfred Hitchcock” or “Ingmar Bergman” in the directorial credits and begin to expect the film to be good? Well, in recent memory, the phrase “Starring Nicolas Cage” has signified a film of poor quality.
I don’t hate Nicholas Cage (I actually quite like a lot of his performances), but here are some reasons you might:
1) He changed his name to hide his family connections in the industry, but once he was (too) famous he didn’t change it back.
2) He arguably ‘sold out’ after winning an Academy Award and started making action-movies in a deliberate (and shrewd) attempt at securing ‘bankability’. Once said bankability was achieved, he proceeded to make a long string of bad movies (Bringing Out the Dead and/or Adaptation, perhaps, withstanding).
3) He is arguably a weird looking individual, who always looks similarly weird in all his films (again, Adaptation, perhaps withstanding).
4) He made two movies with Vegas in the title, forever ruining the experience of those that mixed up the titles of those films.
5) He once swallowed a live insect (insect-killer!).
That’s all I’ve got.
Again, I’d like to state that I have no problem with Nic(h)olas Cage; I just thought the question was interesting, rhetorically.
Wait wait wait.
Those clips from WICKER MAN are the best shit I’ve seen in ages. Is the thing a masterpiece of high camp, or what?
Oh
and
WILD AT HEART is great, and he exhibits fantastic comic timing in it.
It seems to me he has two emotions: tense and really tense.
Fair, enough to most responses.
But has any one seen “Knowing”? I thought that was a great science fiction film from Alex Proyas.
But what do people like or dislike about him?
Ben, Ive actually never seen the film but I imagine its a case of editing out of context and the film simply being downright horrendous. Oh and heres OH NOT THE BEES REMIX:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIvHVIMAEks&feature=related
Cage is a frustrating actor. On one hand, he’s capable of tremendous performances… On the other, he makes horrible and poorly though out career decisions.
When he’s not calling it in for a paycheck (‘Gone in 60 Seconds’, ‘Bangkok Dangerous’, too many countless others to name), he seems to have an inability to calibrate his performances. His turn in ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’ is particularly true in this. While it is in no means a bad performance (isolated from the rest of the film, it’s actually quite good), it throws the entire film off balance, because it feels out of place when seen next to all the other turns in the film. He actually seems as if he’s acting in a different movie than the rest of the cast.
Great turns such as his two Oscar nominations come so far apart that I’ve become totally ambivalent to his career, which I once followed pretty closely. His appearances in incredible stinkers (‘Next’ and ‘Ghost Rider’, for example) happen much more frequently than when he gives a performance worth note.
That being said, I am VERY excited to see ‘Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, New Orleans’.
I don’t hate Cage, but I also think he’s badly cast. In particular, he’s totally unsuited to action movies… he plays against his own demeanor and physical type, and he’s not a skilled-enough actor to pull it off (as, I would argue, Edward Norton might be). He’s sort of a slight-framed, older man with a washed-up look, and his voice is quiet and withdrawn… timid, not threatening or mysterious. The best he can muster is “businessman”… he simply isn’t suited to characters that rely on intimidation, and this is what he’s tried to play in most of his well-known movies. Face-Off, Ghostrider, Con Air — all a little facile because of his misplaced presence.
He’s great for parts like Adaptation, where he actually DID play a timid, washed-up screenwriter. I also think he could be good in Lord of War, because I bet he can muster up a good slippery businessman. Haven’t seen it, though, and I don’t know if I ever will. Finally, and most importantly, I’m excited for Bad Lieutenant… from the trailers, he seems to play a mediocre cop trying to be a badass, but generally being ineffective. The part sounds perfect for him.
To be fair, I think Nicholas Cage is a good actor (evidenced by Adaptation). I just think he needs to be given parts that bring out his talent.
There seems to be no in-between with him. When he’s good Cage is very good. When’s he’s bad he’s f-ing awful.
His performance in “Vampire’s Kiss” was excellent and startlingly original. He hasn’t done anything near as good since.
i think he was good in wild at heart and a few others, but for me it’s the recent (within the last 3 years) movies he’s been in. seeing some the trailers he’s in these days kind of tarnishes my overall feeling towards him. i mean, watching enough bad movies with a certain actor starts to leave a bad taste in my mouth for that person. i love herzog. with that being said i am actually excited to see how port will be. it might lift that bad taste i have of cage.
Great Article on cage in the NY TIMES
BIRDY, RAISING ARIZONA, MOONSTRUCK WILD AT HEART and LEAVING LAS VEGAS
The rest where just to pay for his Castles and Cars…
Yeah the man did some great movies but once I saw the Wicker Man, I really started to hate him and his stupid choice.
His uncanny ability to see into the future (Knowing) or his incredible reservoir of historical knowledge and intuition (National Treasure). Heck it could be worse…he could be Keanu Reeves.
here’s another
Love Cage. I think he only brings great things to all of his roles. Like Klaus Kinski or Dennis Hopper, he probably will never reach his full potential or be embraced by the majority of cinephiles. Its partially his fault since he doesn’t mind playing in bad populist films like those two did. If he makes more independent films, people will wise up to his talent. If he was born in the early 20th century and worked in older films, he would have an Oscar by now IMO.
Just watched LORD OF WAR and was interested in a lot of it but disappointed by most of it. Great premise for a movie, but Cage seemed to be pretty half-hearted in it.
Pavel
Don’t get me wrong he’s made some flawed choices in his career, but almost every actor has. You cannot look at an actors career without finding more terrible roles than good ones. That said Cage is more daring than most actors taking on, what I think, he can make the most of. And the hate towards him replacing Harvey Keitel, just seems like knee jerk response, almost every one has said the same thing. Come on people have your own opinion!!!!
What film or attribute about Nicolas Cage do you hate so much?
Selected Filmography (Films I’ve seen and enjoyed, or are my favorites)
Raising Arizona
Moonstruck
Leaving Las Vegas
The Rock
Face/Off
Bringing Out the Dead
Adaptation.
Matchstick Men
The Weather Man
National Treasure
Lord of War
Knowing
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans