The glamorous world of Hollywood has always had its ups and downs. But no matter the industry’s condition, one man has managed to keep audiences and insiders on their toes. Defined by his notable voice, characteristic facial expressions, and dramatic range rivaled only by Daniel Day Lewis, Nicolas Cage has done it all. His work has earned him roles in films by the Coen Brothers and David Lynch, and even an Oscar. Yet the later works in the Cage canon—films like Bangkok Dangerous and this Friday’s Drive Angry 3D—prompt one of the most-pondered questions of our day: What the fuck is Nic Cage doing?
Cage has become the archetype of what I call Nic Cage Syndrome. This disorder exclusively affects actors who have largely maintained critical acclaim, only to subsequently star in a string of romantic comedies, action flicks, or, in the worst cases, a hybrid of the two. While Cage has become known for his pathological career moves, recent trends show that he may not be the sole victim of this corrosive condition.
To diagnose this disorder, look at an actor’s film choices before and after an Oscar nomination or win. Take Natalie Portman. Coming off Black Swan, she is currently appearing in the trite rom-com No Strings Attached. Even worse is her role in the upcoming Thor, a superhero movie which will only further typecast her as the young, simple, pretty girl. But Portman is not completely to blame—as a young actress, she may not have the bank account to support more critically-acclaimed roles. And besides, a well regarded actor who never made a disappointing movie in his or her younger days is a very rare find.
Younger actors like Portman may have an excuse, but what about the veterans? Look at the great Robert De Niro—an actor whose sterling reputation has remained mostly intact despite some incomprehensibly bad roles. He appears to suffer from the same syndrome as Cage, starring in an inexcusable number of nonsensical films. I’ll admit Meet the Parents was pretty funny, and largely because of De Niro. But its two sequels, combined with the upcoming Limitless—a lifeless-looking Bradley Cooper vehicle—have not impressed his fan base. De Niro recently hammered the final nail in his career’s coffin when he signed on for New Year’s Day, the sequel to 2010’s vapid ensemble flick Valentine’s Day.
What drives these actors to make such calamitous career moves? Money may be a factor—Cage has become notorious for his financial woes. Another reason, with which many justify Steven Spielberg’s involvement with the atrocious Transformers series, is that filmmakers and actors take profitable jobs so that they can appear in smaller movies that won’t pay the rent. Thankfully, these situations do not always breed disaster—some, like Ed Norton, seem immune to Cage Syndrome, while others, like Christian Bale when he took a role in Terminator, wind up making full recoveries.
But despite the evidence, there are still conspiracy theorists convinced that Cage has taken his treacherous roles as some kind of sick joke. Although we may never know the truth, a few Wicker Man clips make it hard to dismiss this theory. Or maybe Cage is saving up to finance his own Citizen Kane—it’ll just take three more Ghost Riders and a few more National Treasures to complete.
Find out how far John will go to finance his next big project at jsapunor@georgetownvoice.com
