Pig

This is a film about loss and grief on many levels. In fact each of the main characters are hurting big time in one way or another and they are all drawn together because of a (totally gorgeous) pig. Whilst only being on screen for such a short time the pig causes events in peoples lives that are monumental. This is such a clever story, beautifully filmed, edited, scored, directed and acted by everyone.

Pig follows a truffle hunter named Rob who lives alone in the wilderness of Oregon with his beloved foraging pig. One day, his pig is stolen, and he sets out on a mission to find her, revealing a hidden past and putting him in touch with his estranged former life in the process.

This movie is not your typical Hollywood production. Instead, it's a slow-burning character study that explores themes of loss, grief, and redemption. Nicolas Cage delivers a subdued, nuanced performance, showing a depth and range that remind us of his acting abilities beyond his typically over-the-top roles. He portrays Rob as a man who has suffered a great deal, but who has not lost his humanity, compassion, or love for his pig.

The cinematography is stunning, capturing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest wilderness, and the soundtrack is haunting and atmospheric, adding to the film's melancholic and introspective mood. The supporting cast also delivers strong performances, particularly Alex Wolff as Amir, a young and ambitious chef who becomes entangled in Rob's quest.

"Pig" is a quiet and contemplative film that rewards patient viewers with a moving and profound experience. It's not a film for everyone, but for those willing to engage with its themes and characters, it's a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant work of art.

Comparisons to 'John Wick (2014)' are both apt and, perhaps, misleading; in many ways, 'Pig (2021)' is the antithesis of the revenge thriller. It isn't about vengeance, it's about love, loss, grief and gourmet cooking. In fact, the protagonist comes face to face with the people who whack him in the head and steal his pig in the movie's opening movement surprisingly early on, showing no desire to hurt them and instead being wholly focused on recovering his lost pet. It's generally a quiet, contemplative and purposefully counter-intuitive affair that subverts almost every expectation that comes with its set-up and the fact that it stars Nic Cage. Cage is remarkably restrained here, delivering a heavy yet nuanced performance that's actually rather affecting. Some of his conversations hit surprisingly hard, even if some of them are rather difficult to hear (the dialogue is oddly quiet and muffled at times). On top of its more straightforward narrative, the film has plenty to say about commerce vs creativity, compromised dreams, self-imposed isolation, gentrification, monopolisation, regret, companionship and the necessity of being able to 'move on'. It's purposefully unsatisfying, which is actually oddly satisfying if you think about it. It's relatively realistic yet still retains its own sense of low-key style. It's also really sad overall. It isn't consistently gripping, but it's always interesting and generally entertaining, too. It's an accomplished piece of work. 7/10.

This won't be everyone's favorite movie. I went into it thinking it's a revenge/rescue mission movie like John Wick or Nobody. It's not. It's a lot deeper than that and the more you learn about Nicholas Cage's character the more you realize this is a character study, one where put yourself in his shoes and reflect on all the obstacles life throws. The biggest theme is grief and loss, in various forms, and choosing to move forward in the face of it.

It is not a happy or action-packed movie. But it's a short film and makes you feel things. I'm primarily feeling sad and probably won't watch it again but not regretting it either.

I'm not sure what I expected but what I got surprised me. I like Nic Cage but I don't always like the choices he makes. This role is a good one. He is a wilderness man in Oregon, the state with the best hunting for truffles. He lives in a very rustic cabin, gets supplied delivered weekly, in exchange he provides top quality truffles. We see him early making a rustic mushroom tart, we get a sense of what his former career might have been.

The incident happens very early in the movie, at the 11 minute mark, when in the dead of night men break in, knock him unconscious, and steal his prize pig. The rest of the movie is his efforts to find his pig and get it back. More because of his attachment to the pig, not so much for his truffle hunting.

The overall theme is dealing with loss and grief, and not only one person or one loss. It is not a superficial story that one can pay scant attention to. Cage is really good in the role, as a former top chef who dropped out of the mainstream.

On DVD from my public library. My wife skipped.