"The Weather Man" (2005) - Movie Review

Life is not easy and it is the nature of it to be hard. Other wise there would no taste of having happiness. Defining individualistic personality may be easy but accepting the fact that some one really messed up due to it, is unacceptable, at least to them. Dave Spritz (Nicolas Cage) is the weather man for local television channel in Chicago. He works two hours per day and gets paid an unimaginable huge amount per year. He does not live with his wife and people throw things at him. This is his life and it is not easy.

There is a pity in his lifestyle, but in reality, he is rich and as one person who identifies him says, “You are in TV, bro”. What else one could ask for? A person can be famous and rich, yet a screw up, a clichéd truth. There is a single line of difference between things going wrong and things you mess up due to own actions. Dave jumps on both the sides. His actions are sometimes irreparable and still he has the hopes. He thinks things can be worked out. He believes everything would fall in place and more money is the answer he arrives on. When he gets interest in Archery and becomes good at it, along with Dave, the viewers does hope that this is where he lacked his concentration. This is the focal point of his failure and it is the time to get it all back. It does not happen that way. Life is not easy. He knows he is wrong.

What is so interesting and mesmerizing about this film is that the presentation of a man who spends his time thinking about solving it while not exactly taking the right actions for it, in a manner everyone would do in their life. It is the beauty of the slick Chicago with his complacent ignorance of reality. Is it the combination of the place to the right people? It might seem I am kidding but the movie matches up so perfectly to believe so.

In the middle of all this hell breaking lose or as he thinks himself, Dave’s father Robert (Michael Caine) is the man of right words. His deliverance of sentences is meticulous. Of course he is a Pulitzer Prize Won Writer. But he is so definitive and clear, even when he curses. It is like he knows why he is saying this and what is the impact of each syllable will be on the other party. It is Michael Caine at his touch of versatility. He is a dying father who knows life better than his son. While Dave is continuously fighting for his recognition, he spits with truth on his face. Dave respects his father and so does Robert about Dave. The concern for each other is mountainous that they take so much time and energy to tell it in a subtle manner. Robert even though is clear about the happenings, stores it for his final hit. The film plays around with it all balanced. The audience expects it and they give it and they do not even realize it. After the credit rolls and do the thinking like what Dave or Robert says, they realize the facts. The film excels in this of the sudden enjoyment consecutively and the viewers get immersed into it. It takes time for them to wonder the actual events which happened in front of their eyes.

The film concentrates on the unusual bonds and the circling of the same knowledge passed on different generations. It is the mirage of life gets going without any effort, but in actuality it is all effort. It reflects the attitude of a person who is in a comfortable position financially, feels everything might just work. The style of the film takes the viewers in and for a while be a part in the everyday life of Dave. They are placed as the third person with respect to their convenience. Sometimes they do want to throw stuff at him and the film provides the opportunity. Sometimes they do want him to get his autograph and get snubbed by him. It also facilitates that. Strange and comfy feeling of being in a movie without their knowledge is the improvisation; a viewer might get from this film.

Gore Verbinski makes an impressive film in the arena of independent comedy drama genre very strongly. As the movie itself centers on a man of predicting weathers, the film happening in the middle of a cold winter is right utilization of the theme. This reminded me of “American Beauty”, not because of the character serialization of the primary element in the film losing the sense of touch with his family, but how different both movies depict something so similar in a totally different and brilliant way.

The film seems to have weighed and estimated the capability of viewers and feeds them with the right emotions at the right time. I am sure it is not intentional to do that but as moviegoer, there comes a tendency or putting it on a positive note as “knowledge” to predict subconsciously on what the story might provide. This might prove fatal to the experience and fortunately it has made me to identify the good and bad movies correctly. This film made me forget that fact during lot of moments. I guess with respect to that, “The Weather Man” did predict the right results. Do you think there is a variance? Let me know after watching the film.