The Weather Man

On the eve of a huge promotion, a Chicago weather man (Nicolas Cage) tries to rebuild relationships with his wife, children, and father (Michael Caine).

The Weather Man isn’t so much a black comedy as a blue one. The film wallows in dysfunction and depression and offers no characters to root for or against. Sure, there are some funny moments, but overall the script seems too caught up in its own melancholy to really work as a black comedy.

The whole thing would probably be unwatchable if it weren’t put together so well. Nicolas Cage shines in the lead, giving his best performance in a decade, and Michael Caine provides the closest thing to a sympathetic character in the entire film. Behind the camera, director Gore Verbinski does a great job of reinforcing the script’s melancholy tone with some very nice cinematography.

It’s worth a look if you’re a Nicolas Cage fan, or if you really like Michael Caine. Others beware.