I saw "The Weather Man" tonight, which stars Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine. It's an odd movie, for a big studio release with big names. It's a depressing movie. It's about a sad guy, mired in a sad life, without much redemption at the end. Nicolas Cage plays a Chicago TV weatherman, separated from his wife, two sad kids, and a father, played by Michael Caine, dying of lymphoma. There's no joy in Cage's life, and he can't snap out of it to find any. Yet I thought the film was excellent. It's a character study. You get inside Cage's character's life. He becomes real. The movie does a great job of making him feel real. But he's sad. And he makes you start to think life is sad, always sad, and there's no way to avoid the sadness of it. I would not recommend the movie if you're thinking about killing yourself, or if you're thinking about a career in TV weathercasting. But I would recommend the movie otherwise. There aren't too many movies that do a credible job of going inward, of putting you in someone's head. This one does. Masterfully, I thought. Plus, Michael Caine is a terrific, terrific actor.

Roger Ebert's got a very positive review here. ("Yes, 'The Weather Man' is a downer, although the sun breaks through from time to time, and there are moments of comedy that are earned, not simply inserted. Do you never want to see a downer?")