Nicholas Cage Favorite Films.

[Smokey]

What one can say about Nicholas Cage that haven’t been written before. Very well rounded actor that disappear into character, whether a comedy, drama or intense over-the edge roles. Here is my favorite top three movies.

Not in any particular order:

Raising Arizona (1987): Coen brothers' second film might also be their best thanks to Cage and his “corky” performance. Perfectly casted.


Red Rock West (1994): Mistaken for a hitman, Cage comes face to face with J.T.Walsh and Dennis Hopper in this western themed film, shot beatifully in wide open space of the west.


Bring out The Dead (1999): Martin Scorsese might have find another Deniro in Nicholos Cage, as this film carry the same theme as Taxi Driver......a ticking time bomb character.

*Honorable Mention*

Moonstruck (1987): More of a Cher movie than Cage, this movie does deliver the goods.

[jim goulding]

Love Raising Arizona on all counts! I can probably quote more lines from this more than any other film I've seen. And Nicolas Cage was perfectly cast in this as was his performance perfect. Admired his perfomance in Moonstruck, too.

[sgt bass08]

You have left out Con Air, Face/off and National treasure they are my favorite .

[ForeverAutumn]

I loved him as Sailor in Wild At Heart. I also thought that he was brilliant in Adaptation by convincingly creating two totally separate characters. And in Matchstick Men...great movie.

There aren't too many movies that he's done that I haven't enjoyed watching him in. And usually if I haven't enjoyed it, it was the movie that wasn't good...not him.

[topspeed]

Valley Girl.

Like, totally!!!

[jim goulding]

Autumn and Top! Oh, yeah. I second those, bigtime! Thought he was actually good in the recent one about the roque arms dealer, as well.

[Smokey]

There aren't too many movies that he's done that I haven't enjoyed watching him in. And usually if I haven't enjoyed it, it was the movie that wasn't good...not him.

That is a fair statement. His later films seem to fit more in that category than his early films. Movies like Trapped In Paradise or Family Man are good example of wasted effort by Cage.

Although must admit that Con Air was fun to watch

[3-LockBox]

He's a good actor who perhaps could be a little more discerning about the roles he takes. He's likable. He's believable. But I don't know if he's a character actor anymore; more of a personality actor IMO. I liked him in Leaving Las Vegas - he does have a good range. I liked him in Honeymoon In Vegas (which was shamelessly ripped off by the movie Indecent Proposal ). But I guess you gotta make money while you can. You can always be too picky for your own good. Look at Sean Penn. He was critical of Cage's movie choices. But Penn 'discerned' himself right out of relevance. You don't see Cage doing any cameos for sitcoms like Penn did (Friends) and doing it badly at that. Cage has a good presence, and I guess his longevity is a testament to his likable, affable characters - you don't realize how many movies he's been in until you look them up. Just when you think he's reached the saturation point, he lands a franchise like National Treasure. He's the new Harrison Ford!

[Troy]

Yeah, Raising Arizona is my favorite too. Matchstick Men, Lord of War, Adaptation and Red Rock West are also great movies served well by Cage's performances.

Had he only done those movies, he'd be considered one of the great actors of his generation.

I agree with 3LB, he also chooses projects that are truly awful. He needs to be more discerning. It seems that if he's in a bad production, he over-acts terribly and actually makes the movie worse.

For every great movie he's been in, there seem to be 10 crappy movies like 8MM, Ghost Rider and Captain Corelli's Mandolin. I realize that that ratio is an exaggeration, but the bad movies really drag down his Q-rating.

[bobsticks]

I've mentioned it before, but if you get a chance watch Vampire's Kiss. One of Cage's first films, it's a black comedy...very good for judging the irony-quotient of your company and at times laugh-out-loud funny.

Thanks for the tip on Captain Corelli Troy, I had considered that one.