Dream Scenario... The weirdest Nicholas Cage movie ever made.

Before I get started, let me express that I have not seen all of Nicholas Cages movies so I can't say for sure if this is the strangest one, but damn, it's up there. Lets get started.

Okay, I admit it, Nicholas Cage is one of my guilty pleasures. For the most part, I don't think his movies are good, in fact his acting is, well, something... The thing is his movies are fun. Very fun, even the ones that get "meme" status. He has a habit of not taking much seriously. In truth, he actually can act, well sometimes. I think he just operates a little differently than most of us. When he's on, he's on, and when he's not, he's still on- success even with his failures. 

This last weekend I stumbled across a movie I didn't expect out of Nicholas Cage. It's a weird little film, like super weird, and quite possibly it makes it into the top 10 most awkward movies I think I have ever seen. That's right, squirm in your seat awkward, get up and pretend you have to pee awkward. However, despite it being super strange and spacey- it was actually a really good movie. One I didn't expect to see coming out of the Cage. So sit back, and we shall explore the oddity that is "Dream Scenario". 

This movie isn't for every one, and don't expect action either. This isn't a typical Cage movie, come to think of it, this isn't a typical movie at all. There is some good writing happening in this film and it surprised me. It's thoughtful in a way I didn't expect, thoughtful in it's direction and how it correlates to the modern times and how things are changing. It is a brilliant critique of things like social media, technology, perception and how we see the world. It's an all around thoughtful show that will make a person think. 

The type of character Nicholas Cage plays in this movie is a change up for him. I don't think I have seen him play such a character in any of his films. He is a useless, spineless, dumpy looking turd. Oh, did I mention narcissistic? Yeah. He's not really likable in this show, how ever, he does a good job of acting the part. The thing is, he somehow winds up in everyones dreams. 

I have to at this point reveal what the movie is about, because in this day and age it's hard to find an idea or plot that hasn't been done four hundred times over. The basic plot is this: people start dreaming about him, and what he does in their dreams affects the way the treat him. This is a genius idea for a movie. To top it off, it was well written. It does come across as one of the most awkward movies I have ever seen. 

It goes down like this. All the people around him, and within his sphere suddenly start dreaming of him. At first it makes him feel good, it's everything he wanted. He just shows up in their dreams. He doesn't do anything, he just stands there and might say "Hi", but he doesn't interact with them. He suddenly get recognition for just being in other peoples thoughts. Everyone except his wife and a few of the professors he works with. 

The one thing he really wants to be known for is his work as a biologist, and it's the one thing that's on exactly zero peoples mind. He is used to being rejected, but those rejections start snowballing. At some point in the movie he is rejected by a love interest. (BTW's it's most likely one of the most awkward scenes I have ever seen in any movie- it must have been a real experience.) 

That rejection mortifies him and depresses him, but it also makes him angry. As an unintended side effect of that rejection he starts acting things out in people's dreams, bad things. Ergo, suddenly he makes everyone very uncomfortable. Even though he is not doing anything to people in real life, he suddenly struggles with how everyone perceives him. This leads to some more poignant and  disturbing revelations about his condition. And  maybe an advertising spot with Sprite, maybe not. You'll get that if you watch the movie. 

If nothing else, this movie is thought provoking. I cannot give it a perfect rating, but I can say it scores a B+ or an A-, depending on how I look at it. The plot is great. The acting is mostly good. There are some special effects in this movie, but one of the things I like about it is that it relies more on a good story than on the use of those. The writing is good too. The one thing that this movie excels at is making the view think, and making them incredibly uncomfortable.  

I recommend it to anyone who likes a weird off the cuff and strange movie. 

Cheers!