It may star Nicolas Cage, but its dark, melancholic and bitter tone isn't usually the type which goes down well with mainstream audiences. Unsurprisingly then, the film tanked at the US box office. Will UK audiences, whose weather often leaves much to be desired, be more accepting of a film that decidedly looks on the dark side of life?

Dave Spritz (Nicolas Cage) is a weather man. Despite having a high-profile and well-paid job, he is frequently harassed by members of the public. Recently separated from his wife and struggling to develop any common relationship with his two children, his family life isn't doing much better. He's also constantly trying to impress his Pulitzer prize winning father (Michael Caine), who's not the easiest man to impress. Throughout a cold winter, Dave attempts to reinvigorate his life, with mixed results.

The Weather Man sometimes feels like an independent film, trapped in a studio movie. Its grim wintry setting and bitter mood aren't necessarily what you would expect from director Gore Verbinski, the film maker behind Pirates of the Caribbean and The Mexican. But he deserves kudos for yet again changing genre with his movies.

The Weather Man is a skillful portrait of a man who has found himself in a job he has little passion for and has a family he doesn't connect with. His constant attempts to impress his father and to find common ground with his children are both funny and poignant. Funny moments are littered throughout the movie - a scene with tartar sauce and a botched relationship counselling session spring to mind. It may not be an all-out comedy, but the sardonic elements of the movie work well.

Nicolas Cage delivers a terrific performance, without going into overdrive. As a character study of the title character, the film offers a strong sense of the main protagonist. Michael Caine and Hope Davis (his estranged wife), also deliver successful work. Although the film is primarily about this guy trying to sort his life out, there are no grand speeches about where he went wrong and no magic moments when everyone around him tells them they love him. It's refreshing that the film never panders to sentiment and stays true to itself throughout.

The Weather Man, despite being sold as comedy, isn't going to be a crowd-pleaser. It's a cynical drama that stands against a million other similar movies by saying that sometimes life doesn't work out and however hard you try, sometimes you just can't make it work. It's been criticised by some as being too depressing for a Paramount picture. Since when has the grimness of a movie made it into a bad one? If you don't dig happy endings, but prefer real ones, then see this film.

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