Pathetic biology professor Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage) lives an inconspicuous life in every possible way: his scientific career did not work out, he does not enjoy the respect of his colleagues (and those around him in general). The root of all their troubles is complete indecision and passivity. That changes when, for some inexplicable reason, Matthews begins appearing in the dreams of people all over the world. Thanks to this, the man becomes a worldwide celebrity. But his life isn’t getting any better: Even though everyone knows him now, it seems no one still really tries to get to know him. Soon the professor’s condition worsens: if at first he is equally passive both in sleep and in reality, after a while the dreams that other people see with his participation become more and more sinister. This affects his reputation.
Of course, I would like our grandchildren to look back on our time as the age of “cage”, but I think this chance has already been lost. Meanwhile, “Cagessance” continues. Now joining its canon is “The Hero of Our Dreams,” a surreal black comedy with fantasy elements (what better way to call out unhappy citizens, with Nicolas Cage showing for free every night) and Ari Aster on the list. of manufacturers. In connection with the latter, for a change, it is necessary to mention not the first horror films “Reincarnation” and “Solstice”, but last year’s acid film “All Bo’s Horrors”, which Joaquin Phoenix spent three times without any problems. Visiting his mother for hours – a movie that rightfully angered many people.
“The Hero of Our Dreams” is on a similar psychedelic plane, but it doesn’t have the same discordant potential: This movie has a much better chance of being liked by everyone with its hero as the first half of the movie was. but at the same time it is unlikely to cause anyone particularly strong emotions (unlike the second half). Some perceive “Hero” as a satire on “cancel culture” (for Cage, it’s obvious, he’s hanging out in the corner and he’s in the same room as us?) – which makes some sense, but it’s still not worth doing. The tape seems to run out particularly quickly in this segment. It’s rather about something else: Norwegian director and screenwriter Kristoffer Borgli, who made his Hollywood debut with “The Hero of Our Dreams,” is clearly interested in cycles of virality and the structure of public attention. He also openly hates advertisers (basically our guy).
His first feature film, the mockumentary DRIB, emerged as a replacement for a failed ad campaign the energy drink brand had commissioned from action wisecracker (and Borgley’s friend) Amir Asgarnejad; Echoes of this story can be heard in the “Hero” scenes, where a nefarious marketer played by Michael Cera encourages Cage’s hero to become the face of Sprite. The filmmaker’s second film, “Sick of Myself”, which was included in the Cannes Un Certain Regard program, was about a girl who struggles to attract the attention of others due to jealousy with her boyfriend, who is a conceptual sculptor. According to Borgli, this plot was inspired by his life in Los Angeles; here you go). “The Hero of Our Dreams” seems like a report on the subject or a crossover, if not a final work: a world hungry for memes encounters a jealous and pathetic little man who becomes interesting for a moment. Peace wins, of course.
For a truly caustic and accusatory statement, “Hero” itself seems to lack a kind of fullness. However, we are talking about a painting that is adjacent to Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sorrow” on the Côte d’Azur, so there is no problem. There’s also Nicolas Cage, whose gravity is almost impossible to argue with. Sure, it will make you feel a little sleepy, but maybe that’s a good thing.
Release date in Russia: March 14, 2024
Worldwide release date: September 9, 2023
Duration: 100 minutes
Manager: Kristoffer Borgli
Casting: Nicolas Cage, Michael Cera, Julianne Nicholson, Tim Meadows, Nicholas Braun
Where to see: to the cinema