Remember when Nicolas Cage movies were something to look forward to? Now, Cage's films feel more like a punchline rather than something worth spending any of your hard earned money on. His latest film, THE RUNNER, is another in a long string of mediocre to bad movies that are conveniently available at your local Redbox or gas station. Our own Chris Bumbray gave THE RUNNER a mediocre review but it still doesn't seem to be enough to phase Cage.
In an interview with Time Magazine, Cage was asked if he has regretted any of the roles he has taken in over 75 films. He answered no and that the experimentation he has done with his "art" and the critical response has helped him grow as an actor. He was also asked if he has any favorite films in his career. Cage named four.
I thought that Werner [Herzog] and I got up to something special in Bad Lieutenant. Certainly Mike Figgus and I found something pretty emotionally naked in Leaving Las Vegas. I was very happy with Vampire’s Kiss, which in my opinion was almost like an independent laboratory to start realizing some of my more expressionistic dreams with film performance. Then using what I had learned in Vampire’s Kiss and putting it into a very big action movie in the form of Face/Off with John Woo. If you look at those two movies back to back, you can see where I stole from my performance in Vampire’s Kiss.
While I don't think I would ever have named VAMPIRE'S KISS as one of the best films in his career, I am not surprised that Cage selected it. LEAVING LAS VEGAS, FACE/OFF, and BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS are all excellent examples of different phases in Cage's career, but he leaves out some other greats like THE ROCK, RAISING ARIZONA, ADAPTATION, or MATCHSTICK MEN. Hell, he didn't even name CON AIR! Whatever the case, this is definitely the perfect chance for all of you to name your top five Nicolas Cage films and list them in the talk backs below.
THE RUNNER is now playing.