Some actors are defined by the subtlety and low-key naturalism they bring to a role. You can relate to a simple shoulder shrug, or see the interior monologue working as their jaw clenches a little, barely discernable. Montgomery Clift said so much with darting eyes; Judi Dench with an acidic quip. Not so for Nicolas Cage. He’s quite special. Here’s some top tips:
- Clench your jaw.
- Swear copiously.
- Eyes wild, scream like a newborn.
- Punch something, or someone.
- Roll cartoonishly on the floor.
This is cinema in ALL CAPS, pure popcorn. There’s no film that wouldn’t benefit from the eyeballs and teeth extravaganza that is Cage. It you want social realism, jog on. Dame Nicolas Cage’s wild overreacting is the stuff of legend. Eyes bulging, neck strained, gibbering incomprehensible nonsense, scenery isn’t so much chewed as swallowed whole in one thespian gulp. If crazy overacting was an Olympic sport, he would take gold, breaking all known world records.
Forget truth, Cage is all about the ridiculous, the bizarre, the outre. He’s action hero with a slice of ham on the side. Stanislavski seems a whole lifetime away. This is the multiplex, dammit. Release the bees…
Hit The North 
He is one of a kind. Maybe the only actor to be lauded over for over acting. But, damn, he’s a hoot. He also specializes in looking pleased with himself!
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Damned tooting. And ohhh, those ill-judged Elvis impersonations!
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God forbid we forget that!!
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He makes some great faces in Mandy!
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