Pig

What a beautiful movie. Not everyone is going to love it, I've seen some of the reviews here, and frankly, they didn't understand what the film was going for. Seldom has there been such a raw portrayal of love and caring for the things that really matter, and decluttering life of all the unnecessary BS. A film that doesn't treat it's audience like idiots, letting you paint your own picture while still wholly understanding the message. Reserved and much more than skin deep, Nicolas Cage delivers a painfully Oscar-worthy performance. Go and see this movie!

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.

This movie brought back life to Cinema! And it's absolutely stunning, touching, real and Authentic. In a world of plastic CGI and ultra unrealistic movies which you can absolutely not relate to, this one is a breath of fresh air that will touch the inner most part of you heart. I felt it as tears rolled on my cheek's (I miss you dad). Kudos to the entire production team and welcome back Cage ; we have waited for this from you for a long time. Thank you so much.

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.

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.