Category: Unbearable Weight …

JAVI GUTIERREZ, TWO

A multi-millionaire with his own island in Mallorca, Javi is just a guy who loves the acting of Nick Cage. He even has a room dedicated to memorabilia. He hires Nick for a birthday party with the intention of convincing him to star in his spec script (which is probably not very good). Meanwhile, he may be a ruthless mob boss; that’s for Nick to discover.

What makes this fun is the chemistry between Pedro Pascal and Cage. I could watch these two riff off each other for days. It’s a buddy film, which delighted me.

So who is this very rich man who is a dedicated Nick ‘stan?

Well, haha, he’s a Two. He collects Nick Cage, figuratively and literally. He’s also a happy man with a tender heart. The Two/Four dynamic between the men is very successful. Strength/Weakness Enneagrams support and challenge each other. The choice of portrayals (or natural chemistry) these men create turns an awkward plot into a tour de force. Star power is worth money, if there was ever any doubt.

NICK CAGE, FOUR

Just because Nicolas Cage plays himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent doesn’t mean that this character is the same as the real man. Any discussion of his Enneagram assumes that Cage is much too good to give us a simple version of who he is. This Nick is a mash-up of possibly real characteristics and all the heroes he’s played on film. It is, unsurprisingly, a delicious performance.

So who is Nick?

He’s intensely committed to acting. He insists on giving a line reading to a prospective director, terrifying him. He thrives on jobs that interest him rather than paycheck gigs. However, he’s broke from living in a high-priced hotel. (When Nick became divorced and moved out of his home is unclear.) In order to pay his bills, he agrees to perform for one million dollars at a birthday party on a private island.

So, lol, not a One (no money acuity). Not a Six (no worries), not a Nine (loves conflict), not a Five (too risk-oriented).

When he arrives he’s approached by the CIA. He’s the only one who can get onto Javi’s island, and they suspect a kidnapped girl is held there. That means he plays a double game during his visit. The ease with which he lies to his host suggests he’s not a Two.

Although he loves his work and is a master craftsman, Nick is probably not a Three. Too intense, too variable in his success.

If you’re keeping track, we’re left with Four, Seven, and Eight. I want to jump immediately to Four. Although all of those numbers can be intense, Nick is pretty extreme. Nicolas Cage’s career is defined by how volatile his characters are. I think I know already what Javi is, and their friendship is the surprising treasure of this movie. Four is going to be a good choice for Nick.