The Weather Man (2005)

Directed by: Gore Verbinski | 102 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis, Gemmenne de la Peña, Nicholas Hoult, Michael Rispoli, Gil Bellows, Judith McConnell, Chris Marrs, Dina Facklis, DeAnna NJ Brooks, Sia A. Moody, Guy Van Swearingen, Alejandro Pina

Gore Verbinski is a director who produces films with varying degrees of success. His biggest commercial success is undoubtedly ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and the two sequels to it. His ‘The Ring’ is the best Japanese horror remake to date. ‘The Mexican’ (2001) had a promising script and some top actors, but when the supporting actor (James Gandolfini) plays the two protagonists (Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt) off the screen, you are doing something wrong as a director. With ‘The Weather Man’, however, Verbinski is once again in control and shows that he is an excellent character and atmosphere director.

Weatherman Dave Spritz is portrayed formidably by Nicolas Cage, the actor who seems to be able to handle any role. From action to drama, he gets the job done without any apparent effort. With his sometimes very subtle facial expressions, Cage knows how to give the weatherman exactly the depth that is needed and thus manages to bind the viewer to him fairly quickly. Despite his selfish tendencies, he is also very likable, probably because of his underdog position. Michael Caine is also perfectly cast as Dave Spritz’s father. His calm, intelligent comments are always well timed and he plays a strong supporting role. Hope Davis, who has previously appeared in ‘About Schmidt’, a similar black comedy, is very convincing as Dave Spritz’s sometimes despairing ex. Even the young actors Nicholas Hoult (“About a Boy”) and Gemmenne de la Pena (“Erin Brockovich”) in the roles of Mike and Shelly show that they have a lot to offer with their excellent acting.

The misery that Dave Spritz gets in the short time that the viewer gets to know him is not wrong. Food is thrown at him, complete strangers harass him in the street, the downside of fame is very dull. His father turns out to be terminally ill and he still does not live up to the expectations he has of him. Vader is a Pulitzer prize winner, try to compete as an uneducated weatherman. The relationship with his children is also not very pleasant. He does his very best to be a good father, but the only thing that seems to be taking over from him are the swear words he shouts at random. Dave is at an important point in his life and realizes that he is no better than the fast food that is thrown at him on a regular basis. The fact that he does not learn from his own mistakes is not only comical, but also very tragic, but it does make the film special.

Clever use of colors has been made to enhance the atmosphere. The film has many gray tones and therefore comes across as cold and monotonous. It accurately reflects the content of Dave Spritz’s life. Chicago, where the film was shot and set, is the perfect location. A lot of work has been put into the choice of sets and each scene is therefore a feast for the eyes. Some shots are so beautiful that you can almost bring tears to your eyes, such as the surreal scene with the styrofoam animals. For anyone interested in a strong drama about a man who learns how difficult life is and who realizes that he will never become who he really wants to be, this is a must see. For all other film lovers, who do not like the film at first: skip the weather forecast for a week and put the time you gain in this film. The prediction is that you won’t regret it.