The Weather Man

Recently noticed that this was one of the top streaming selections on Netflix -- seven years after it came out. So I think my sense that this would be a sleeper has been vindicated. After four viewings it is still laugh out loud funny, largely because of the usual passion Cage brings to the part. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the movie is that Spritz, bedeviled by his sense of mediocrity, is actually the least complacent character in a sea of dreary mediocrities. (Pulitzer Prize? Please. Does his estranged wife with the big sad house write sci-fi novels? What about her new blob of a suitor?) I think Ebert had it right -- this is a film about a person who thinks that the standard American measures of success are bunk. But he can't escape from the shadow of his menacing father, who, to his credit, admits in the final scenes that his "like a rock" life hasn't been worth as much as his son thinks it might have. The film has its false notes -- the creepy counselor scenes and the whole "camel toe" excursion -- but on the whole there's something transcendent about it.

A while back, I remember catching a bit of this on TV, being really captivated by the use of narration and the lead performance, and then never getting around to finishing it. It's remained on my watchlist until this very day. And as far as I can tell, my first impressions of the movie weren't exactly too far off from my more thorough thoughts on it now. As a showcase of narrative voice and tone alone, "The Weather Man" is definitely worth a look, featuring a refreshingly acerbic take on life, death, work, love, and the human condition. And though some of that sardonicism can get a bit too esoteric at times for my tastes, I found this to be a pretty vibrant effort from writer Steven Conrad overall. Director Gore Verbinski also manages brilliantly, somehow making the familiarly desolate winter landscapes of the Chicagoland area palatable to the eye. And Nicolas Cage is in top form, proving once again that there really, truly is a gifted actor underneath all of the goofiness he's showcased in some of his more recent entries as a performer. All in all, I'm glad I revisited this. It's a successful dramedy on the whole. Even if it does tend to veer a little too far into the weeds here and there.

This movie just seemed to lack oomph. What was it all about? Is the Weather Man some kind of putz? He is clueless about his family, his parents, his abilities, the only thing he is good at is being in front of the TV camera. Is that the point of this movie, that those people can be clueless as Joe on the street?

The Weather Man is a decidedly average film, but does present many strengths. Hyper realistic with great and relatable characters, the film really hits home quite often. Nicolas Cage, Hope Davis, and Michael Caine, are all great in their respective roles and, much like the film itself, bring a human quality to their characters. The writing is also very good and the direction from Gore Verbinski is solid, all winding up with a top-notch character study. However, what truly hurts this one, is the main character. Though realistic and relatable, he is entirely too easy to hate to the point that when things go well for him, we do not care. When things go poorly, we feel he deserves it. This may be the point, but it makes it tough to enjoy a film when you hate the protagonist. Honestly, serial killer and mob movies have more likable people as the protagonists than this one. Despite this, as I said, The Weather Man is decidedly average on a wholistic level, but does bring a lot of quality to the table and was quite an easy watch and never drifted into boredom territory, in large part thanks to its honest and realistic approach to its characters.

the issues that were piled upon.. The Weather Man The Weather Man is a plot driven comic drama about a dysfunctional family and the dysfunctional protagonist that attempts to make things better. Yes, it is hilarious. And none of the sketchy sequences are forcibly imputed they blend in aptly with the storytelling and lightens things down. But the rest of it relies upon emotional drama that unfortunately fails to communicate where the performance isn't on trial but its familiar structure, cliched screenplay and typical quirky characters. The chemistry between Cage and her daughter doesn't go as anticipated (don't get it wrong, it's good, it's sweet) in fact if anything that bounces back in, it's the relationship between Caine and Cage that works on merit of performance and nothing else. The background score is almost non-existent, cinematography is daft along with editing and camera work that only is successful on offering the palpable cold environment to the audience. What it aces on, is the weaving of all the bickerings among characters that is done with such nuance that it draws out laughs easily from you. Cage's thoughts are also real gem as they are more practical, and resembles a lot with the audience as it fiddles with mutual things a lot. Cage's portrayal is subtle and complex to the core and gets a decent support from Caine's sane character whilst Davis fails to live up to it. The primary reason why it doesn't work, is its solution to all the issues that were piled upon, they aren't executed cinematically by Verbinski for it to offer the anticipated glorifying experience. Few hilarious gags, the flamboyant screenplay and Cage's emotionally attached to this bubble are the high points of the feature. The Weather Man is a feature you wouldn't want to explore and frankly will neither remember after leaving the screen.