I Like Nicholas Cage

I like that Nicholas Cage is also fond of San Francisco and New Orleans. At one point in time he had residences in both. In the news last week for his continuing personal and legal troubles but at least his recent conflict in New Orleans keeps Nola in the headlines. He's also dealing with the loss of his father and Cage is smart enough to know that any publicity for a movie star is often better than none at all.

The difference between his nutty behavior and others is that Cage has continually worked- at least one film every year since '85, and every few years turns in an effort that i really enjoy. He continually contributes to a body of work that overall is impressive. Having stated that, I think he's made more bad movies than good, some horrible films and many that he did primarily for the payday (and I won't blame him for not turning down $10 million for 3 months work).

It's boring to me when Cage is cast as an action hero, or a bad man that is really a good guy. More of interest is when he takes on characters who are conflicted, confused, who accept life as being a strange existence, who are neither clearly bad or good, but complex in their motivation, or lack of motivation. When his characterizations have this level of complexity, even his over the top reactions work.
Bad Lieutenant Port of Call New Orleans (2009) is a movie that grossed a very meager 1.6 million and it's certainly a crazy piece with Cage playing a tired drug addicted cop. It is not a tale of redemption. The film sometimes takes the point of view of lizards- why are lizards in the movie? I don't know. Just as crazy is how he can make movies like this and also have mass acceptance in National Treasure 2 (didn't see that one) which grossed nearly 220 million. In 1997 he made the intriguing Face Off but balanced this with standard fare the Rock and Con Air, sort of big budget Steven Seagal-like movies. Bad Lieutenant Port Of Call New Orleans (perhaps it did poorly for who would want to put that title on a movie marque?) is a Warner Herzog movie- himself an interesting film maker.

From Raising Arizona (1987), Red Rock West (1993), Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Matchstick Men (2003), supporting parts in Moonstruck ('87) and Peggy Sue Got Married ('86) , Cage drives his characters, takes chances, and fascinates. Never did finish Adaptation (2002) and Wild At Heart (1990) but I plan on giving them another shot. As for the film that he won an Oscar for, Leaving Las Vegas (1995) I've never viewed it but will this weekend.

In several of his films, his characters seem to exhaust themselves and end up resting on a woman, who is also lost and searching. Perhaps it is the pursuit of searching for peace in a crazed society that he continually explores that I find appealing. Additionally the definition of peace is a subjective one, to the individual.