Pig

Warning: I loved Vanilla Sky, so you can tell, assuming you've seen the movie, that I'm a fan of films which bend and challenge my mind and force me to explore ideas that can only be explored in literature, film, theatre and through use of illegal substances. "Pig" is such a film. The subject explored is of memory- what it means, how and if we need it, what would happen if we could control selected moments of it. Directed beautifully by Henry Barrial with attention to detail and character that is amazing, it is captivating from the first frame. The first few minutes of the film are without any dialogue and drew me inexorably into the story. It opens in a desert with a man, hands zip-tied behind his back, who is obviously in a state of complete confusion and terror. Rudolph Martin, a brilliant actor, managed to draw me in with so many fascinating nuances that it would take longer than seeing the movie to explain them all. All of the performances are incredibly compelling to the point where, even though the film is science-fiction ostensibly, it feels so grounded and authentic that I felt I was observing someone's life. The film deals with a huge subject but the story is told in such a concise, wonderfully lean way that I felt it on a very personal level. Mr. Barrial also wrote the script. I'm normally not a person who believes that a writer should direct his own material mainly because there's an objectivity lost in the process, but clearly, Barrial is able to separate his writer from his director as there is not a moment in the film that feels precious or self-absorbed. The movie's music fits perfectly with the tone of the film, underscoring the story in a spare and very effective manner. I could not recommend the film more highly. GO SEE IT!

This movie about a man who wakes up in the desert with no memory is a fascinating look into what part our memories play in who we are and who we perceive ourselves to be. Writer/Director Henry Barrial uses a mystery to take a fresh look at relationships, memory and consciousness. This film is much better viewed without to much knowledge of the plot, allowing your subconscious to follow the clues to the surprising ending. The movie is being billed as a science fiction thriller, which it is, but it's a thoughtful, psychological study rather than what passes for most box office Sci-Fi these days. You won't find gratuitous explosions here!

Pig is a well crafted film, with care taken to make every scene relate to a greater whole. The desert and Los Angeles scenes really capture their location in a way that isn't often seen. I enjoyed seeing places I am familiar with but which rarely making into the movies.

Finally, the acting is superb. Rudolph Martin does the heavy lifting of carrying the film with little dialogue and we care about his character from the beginning. All the actors are great in their roles and the chemistry between them is believable and compelling.

Calling this a "Poor man 's eternal sunshine of the spotless mind", is pretty silly and lazy, and just not true. Having similar themes, does not make you a copycat. This is not like the above mentioned film at all, save a few thematic similarities, the execution could not be more polar opposite. Saying too much would ruin this film as it does have a lot of twist and turns. I would recommend not watching this if you dislike slow-paced films or dislike low-budget films that rely mostly on storytelling.

This movie was interesting enough that I watched it over the course of 3 days because it made me interested in what happened to the character. This is really what set this film apart for me from so many other low-budget films, I truly did care about what happened to the main character, and by the end of the movie, I was deeply saddened There was a good enough mystery here that the film holds together until the very end. The acting is decent all around, especially the lead, he carries the entire film and he does fantastic. The cinematography is good(though the shaky camera work may bother some people}, the script is not bad, it is quite decent and cleverly constructed(I was reminded a little bit of "Momento" as I was watching it). While it can be confusing at times, verything gels together by the end, but you really have to be patient.

The exploration into memory, trauma, and how we deal with it is interesting, and I felt it's take on it was refreshing. The later "Reveversion" has similar themes. By the end of it, all the character has gone through, and will go through, is a bit heartbreaking. This is a very sad film, it is bleak, and to be honest, without hope by the time you realize what is actually going on.

This is a well-made film that deserves a bigger viewership.

God Bless ~Amy

I just saw this film at the St. Louis Film Festival and I was frankly blown away. Maybe I wasn't expecting much, though the premise intrigued me, but I'd never heard of the film before nor any of the actors. The postcard listed some awards and I'm a sci-fi buff, so I gave it a shot. First, let me say, that this film isn't for everyone. If your idea of a great sci-fi film is "Planet of the Apes" or "Star Trek," then this film might not be for you. It's just not that kind of sci-fi. It's "indie" sci-fi, or as the producer said, "lo-fi" sci-fi. There's no space ships or talking apes in this film. However, if you're a fan of Nolan's "Memento," then run, don't walk to see it.

I don't want to get flagged for spoiling the surprise, but just suffice to say that the film is a mystery with a big reveal at the end that you'll never, never guess. Before that point, I was glued. You're given a series of subtle clues, and then some weird stuff starts happening with the time-line, and you're just trying to fit all the pieces together. Yes, this movie will make you think, and work a bit, but not as much as "Memento." It's a really smart film that makes you think at the end, about a lot of things, not just about what happened. Like any good sci-fi, you think about humankind's place in the world, and what we're doing to potentially mess things up. This film also makes you think about identity, what makes us who and what we are. I'm going to have to see it again when it comes out on video. Until then, if it comes to a city near you, SEE IT!

The opening of this film gives one a little hint about what this is actually about, but that hint is pretty subtle. This is an intriguing combination of an enjoyable mystery and some science fiction and it works pretty well helped immensely by the lead performance of Rudolf Martin an actor I've never heard of despite a long list of credits. This story of a man finds himself in the desert hooded with his hands zip tied without any idea why since he also discovers he has amnesia. It's pretty original and it ends in a somewhat unexpected way, though you might catch on a little earlier than that. I'm not sure if it was ever released theatrically in the USA or why it's called Pig, but I liked it.