At this point, having flooded the market with such efforts as Left Behind, Outcast, Stolen, Drive Angry, Justice, Season Of The Witch, Knowing, and the Ghost Rider movies, there is a certain baggage that accompanies any casting of Nicolas Cage – regardless of the nature of the project. With an understandable reputation for somewhat bizarre and off-the-wall performances, Academy Award winner Cage regularly has an uphill battle to fight when it comes to new releases. The first trailer for his upcoming movie, The Runner, takes on a lot of that fight for him, however, as it showcases what could be his most nuanced performance in some time.
As the feature length directorial debut of writer-director Austin Stark, The Runner is a political drama that has attracted a high level of on-screen talent. Alongside Cage, the film stars Connie Nielsen (Nymphomanic: Vol. 1), Peter Fonda (Easy Rider), Bryan Batt (Mad Men), Sarah Paulson (12 Years A Slave), and Wendell Pierce (Selma), and sets a tale of scandal and intrigue against the harrowing backdrop of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
Cage plays New Orleans congressman Colin Price, who finds himself suddenly thrust into the national spotlight as he represents his constituency in its attempt to deal with the far-reaching aftermath of the environmental catastrophe. Those around him scramble to advise and assist – his ambitious attorney wife, Deborah (Connie Nielsen), his politician father, Rayne (Peter Fonda), financier Mark Lavin (Bryan Batt), and Chief Of Staff, Frank Legrand (Wendell Pierce). However, the privileged position of congressman Price begins to unravel as a stunning sex scandal detonates his career, just as his moment to shine arrives.
What makes this an exciting prospect is the fact that the trailer is entirely without hysterical Nicolas Cage. His films of late have tended to use the signature Cage meltdown as the ‘money-shot’ – featuring it prominently in the trailer. However, the Cage on show here is a measured one – neither too outlandish, nor too reserved. We see stress, panic, upset and emotionally charged moments – but at no time in this trailer does the actor sink his teeth into the scenery. If this preview is any indication, The Runner promises gold-standard Cage – the kind of Cage that reminds us why he is an actor of world renown, and why he has that particular gold statuette adorning his mantelpiece. Whether or not this holds true for the film as a whole will become clear when it gets a limited release on August 7th, 2015.