It’s a darkly funny movie, capitalizing on the ironies of mid-life and the American Dream. Spritz is a blindly ambitious man, and in his honest but misguided pursuit of the Good Life, he has alienated his family. He also struggles with his similarly communication-challenged father, the fame that comes with unintended consequences, and his hair. None of this is apparent, however, once the camera’s lens is on him, but his problem is that he lives in that moment more fully than in any other part of his life. He also just happens to be on the cusp of an assignment that could catapult him to the professional success he’s always wanted - a gig as national weatherman - but in a fit of self- reflection he wonders if it’s the magic bullet he thought it would be.

Cage gives a good performance as someone living his life in quiet desperation, toeing the line between funny-because-it’s-true and depressing. With the interior commentary, often a risky device in film, we get really deep character development and the “unintended” humor that results when exterior actions don’t quite mesh with the inner motivations. Verbinski lets Cage loose and it pays off.

Cage is backed up by Michael Caine as his disapproving father, and Hope Davis as his estranged wife. The scenery is the other character that doesn’t get mention but definitely evokes the stark, detached nature of Spritz’s life. The Chicago winter and its icy streets and snow are symbolic of the coldness and dead or dying relationships of his circumstances.
“The Weather Man” is a comedy but don’t be fooled - there’s a lot of strong language and uncomfortable situations. Others might feel that the plot is weak and unsatisfying, as it is a rather slow-paced film concerned more with defining a character than pushing forward in a definite narrative arc and tying up loose ends. It might be the reason the film opened poorly, because we’re so used to tidy, cut-and-dry Hollywood portions. Rated R.

COURTESY PHOTO

Caption: Nicolas Cage is having his parade rained upon in “The Weather Man.”