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To cope, Dave adjusts his mopey attitude to tackle his problems as a series of missions. Spend more time with my son. Become more involved with my daughter. Impress my father. Encourage my ex to take another stab at their marriage. As feasible as they appear to be, Dave continues to be pelted with obstacles in his efforts just as often as he’s pelted with burgers, burritos, and beverages on the street.

However, just in case you didn’t figure that out, don’t worry. After 100 or so minutes of Cage’s dry narration on how life is as unpredictable as the weather, you just might get a grasp on his cold snap. Or maybe you won’t. Like the wind, The Weather Man is all over the place, and the hodge-podge parable that results doesn’t really encourage sympathy, or promote any other response for that matter. He tries to hang out with his daughter, taking up archery after she quits it. He tries to please his father, who is constantly criticizing his daughter’s weight among other things. He tries to rekindle the flame between him and his ex, whom is far from eager and already seeing another man (Michael Rispoli). He tries to keep tabs on his son, who is just completing a rehab program after being busted with pot. He tries and he tries, but never wins.

And neither does this movie. This is a film that milks every metaphor it can every chance it gets. The unpredictability of weather? Check. The constant assaults with food? Check. The careful focus of archery? Check. Dave’s attempt at a novel, entitled "Breaking Point"? You betcha. Director Gore Verbinski and writer Steve Conrad leave no parallel untapped in their quest to illustrate Dave’s drab existence for yet another reel. Viewers don’t really feel happy or sad for any character for any reason. Character arcs are practically non-existent, and by the end of the film, little has actually occurred. Every now and then, an amusing scene takes place (a tangent on camel toes comes to mind), but it’s feels out of place with the bare story being told.

Cage’s wry nature is fitting for the film, but not necessarily winning. Hope Davis is as good as can be expected in her somewhat restrained role, but every time Michael Caine appears, he is either lecturing or regurgitating crude remarks that other characters exchange. Nicholas Hoult (About A Boy) does rather well, though his American accent could use some work. The single standout performance comes from Gil Bellows' unnerving work as a creepy rehab counselor, who, in a subplot, becomes involved with Dave’s son. Still, the movie gives off an awkward vibe overall. The aimless plot, the eccentric score, the stale direction all add up to minimalist musings on middle-age misery.

Not to rain on the pity parade, but 'The Weather Man' sits in neutral, not really giving that much to connect with by leaving its characters and their lives hopelessly overcast. As with Dave’s archery, everything about the aim of this movie is just a little off.

link directly to this review at https://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=13443&reviewer=409
originally posted: 10/28/05 14:37:03
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