Movies - The Unbearable weight of Massive Talent : Composer Mark Isham creates an eclectic, larger than life score that reflects the charismatic main character

By Mulder, 21 april 2022

Oscar nominated composer Mark Isham (Judas and The Black Messiah; Crash; A River Runs Through It) scores The Unbearable weight of Massive Talent for director Tom Gormican (Ghosted and That Awkward Moment). This is not the first time Isham has scored a Cage film. He previously scored the cult classic, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, where, according to director Werner Herzog, Nicolas got to go “full Cage.” In The Unbearable weight of Massive Talent, Mark had to address the many different genres reflected in the film: rom-com, buddy film, caper, thriller, and action.

The Unbearable weight of Massive Talent, Nicolas Cage stars as... Nick Cage. Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, the fictionalized version of Cage must accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan (Pedro Pascal). Things take a wildly unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative (Tiffany Haddish) and forced to live up to his own legend, channeling his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters in-order-to save himself and his loved ones. With a career built for this very moment, the seminal award-winning actor must take on the role of a lifetime: Nicolas Cage.

The Unbearable weight of Massive Talent, from Lionsgate and Saturn Films, premiered at South by Southwest on March 12, 2022 to unanimous critical acclaim, and will open in theaters on April 22nd, with Lionsgate Records releasing the score album on the same day. 

As he began to craft the cinematic soundscape for this unique meta comedy, Mark Isham discussed the score concept with his “very collaborative” director Tom Gormican, devising how to unify the many genres the film’s narrative required the music to traverse.

Isham explains, “the first music cue [“How Do I Live” from Con Air] you hear pulls you right into a 90s Nicolas Cage film, but then of course, the visuals change, and you’re pulled into a larger than life picture. Nick’s characters are always perceived as larger than life, so the score needed to be larger than life to reflect all those emotions…It needed to address a thriller, an action adventure, and a romance. There are a lot of twists and turns in the story and in the music, including comedic ones. With comedy, the music can be funny, or if the music itself is changed to serious, suddenly it accentuates the joke. Then for the romantic themes, the score incorporates a wonderful female singer’s vocals; all of this along with a contemporary score.”

Additionally, he wanted the music to “pay homage to the great 60’s and 70’s era action-adventure, thriller, and romance film composers like Ennio Morricone, Lalo Schifrin and Georges Delerue. For Isham, Delerue in particular “represents that great period of thriller that was sort of ‘over the top’.”

The score was recorded in several locations. An orchestra recorded strings and wind instruments in Budapest, the brass instruments in London, and the soloists in Los Angeles, with Isham performing on all keyboards and electronic instrumentation.

The Unbearable weight of Massive Talent OST  Tracklisting :
1. Acting’s Like Spying 
2. The General
3. Heist 
4. Need a Hook 
5. Running on Acid 
6. Nick-Napped 
7. Divine Inspiration 
8. They Made You 
9. Duel 
10. Motorcycle Chase 
11. Black Box 
12. You Must Kill Nicolas Cage 
13. Barbara from Santa Barbara
14. Olivia and The Girls Escape 
15. Javi Stands 
16. Embassy Chase – Finale

Digital Score Album will be released by Lionsgate Records on April 22nd, 2022.

Synopsis : 
Nicolas Cage is now an indebted actor waiting for the big role that will revive his career. To pay off some of his debts, his agent suggests he attend the birthday party of a dangerous billionaire who turns out to be his biggest fan. But the trip takes a completely different turn when the CIA contacts him, asking him to investigate the criminal activities of his host. Nicolas Cage will have to play the role of his life and prove that he is worthy of his own legend.

The Unbearable weight of Massive Talent
Directed by Tom Gormican
Written by Tom Gormican, Kevin Etten
Produced by Nicolas Cage, Mike Nilon, Kristin Burr, Kevin Turen
Starring  Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Haddish
Cinematography : Nigel Bluck
Edited by Melissa Bretherton
Music by Mark Isham
Production companies : Saturn Films, Burr! Productions
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release dates : March 12, 2022 (SXSW), April 20,2022 (France), April 22, 2022 (United States)
Running time : 93 minutes

(Source : press release)