From PASTO, COLOMBIA-Via: L. A. CA; CALI, COLOMBIA+ORLANDO, FL The ONLY Tony Kiss Castillo on FaceBook!---------------------------------

************May Contain a Couple MINOR Spoilers************** The TV promo trailer for "The Weather Man" did nothing to capture my interest. It looked like another of those "Light" comedies, which usually just aren't that good. Via recommendations from a few of my students, I decided to check it out. Wow!..Sometimes Hollywood marketing teams are so utterly clueless! In this case, the trailer shown on TV and the film projected in the theater had absolutely nothing in common with one another!

Director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring) has given us a film that at first glance seems simple enough, but which ends up being as absolutely unpredictable as the science of meteorology itself. David Spritz (Nicolas Cage) is a divorced meteorologist who has attained considerable success on a professional level, but whose personal life, despite his perpetual fantasies to the contrary, is an explosive and unmitigated disaster.

As the perturbed and ever-reflexive protagonist, Nicolas Cage (National Treasure, Lord of War) positions himself in the eye of his own tormented life, and is likewise the title character of the film. Like almost every other human being, Spritz is unable to come to grips with the stark reality that the dark clouds constantly present in his life are creations of his own device. They are clearly the consequence of his own actions and his particularly obstinate way of being and not merely products of some uncontrollable, mystical fate.

While growing up, young David always loomed in the shadow of his famous Pulitzer-Prize winning father, Robert Spritz, played masterfully by Michael Caine. It seems that communication between father and son was never really what it should have been. Similarly, David leaves a lot to be desired in the area of warm and communicative interaction with all the important people in his life: His son, daughter, and of course, his ex- wife. David's disconnect is that he fantasizes that love and affection from his loved ones is linked directly to his level of professional success and recognition.

The Weather Man, despite being a great European style film, suffers from some excesses. In order to drive home the fact that David often walks rather aimlessly through life, it isn't indispensable to permit the film to meander and lose its focus for a few minutes as well! Nor do I believe that the constant, non-stop profanity to be consistent with the characters nor with the overall tone of the film. But if you enjoy European flavored cinema and movies which project life through a slightly surreal philosophical prism, surely this Weather Man will make your daySunny and Clear!

8* STARS*...ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions, or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

Nicholas cage plays the same character time after time. He is alone; he once had a nice family; his children are weird or dysfunctional. He has done something in the past that has left him out there on an island of hopelessness and depression. He also manages to get back to the surface and begin to live. He has acuity and knows that he has screwed up. He is ready for redemption but has to find the way there. In this one he is a very talented guy who has on-screen charisma but has been relegated to doing the weather on television. He must be quite popular because people recognize him enough to pelt him with garbage. We know that at some point the universe will right itself and allow him to have his day. The relationship with his sad daughter is what this film is really about, and there is a bittersweet reclamation that takes place. As with most Cage films, there will be hope, but it is at a great personal price.

Dave Spritz (Nicolas Cage) is a local Chicago weatherman and people who don't like his forecasts throw stuff at him sometimes. His highly regarded successful writer father Robert Spritzel (Michael Caine) is disappointed in him and is diagnosed with lymphoma. Dave is estranged from his wife Noreen (Hope Davis). He is looking to get a more prestigious job in NYC. He's not connecting with his kids. His son Mike (Nicholas Hoult) is getting creep on by his counselor Don Bowden (Gil Bellows). His daughter Shelly is chubby and abandons her archery. He decides to take up her bow and arrow for himself.

The humor is dark and dry. The monotone and the bluish hue keeps everything down. He is so suppressed as a character that I don't really buy him as a weatherman. It has just enough dark quirkiness. It's a depressed comedy with a chance of afternoon humor break.