The return of cinemas across the globe has been something I have long anticipated, however due to the rise of streaming services, as well as the general fear and risk to our health going out still poses; cinema hasn’t and probably will never return to its former glory ever again. But, if like me, you also enjoy the atmosphere of the big screen, but don’t exactly want to see Peter Rabbit 2, then might I suggest a more unconventional type of animal centric film?
Marking the feature debut of writer/director Michael Sarnoski, Pig tells the story of a truffle hunter named Robin, played by the icon that is, Nicolas Cage. Detached from society, Robin lives and hunts truffles in the wilderness with his pet pig, until one day she is kidnapped. Determined to find his beloved pig at any cost, Robin must confront his past as, with the help of his biggest buyer, a young business mogul named Amir, played by Alex Wolff, the pair search throughout the underground fine dining scene within Portland Oregon.
Look, I know that a film about Nick Cage looking for a lost truffle hunting pig sounds like the actors next bonkers straight to DVD outing, but looks can be deceiving as Pig is in fact an incredibly heartfelt and surprisingly mature film that totally disregards the gimmicky nature of its synopsis, whilst delivering one of the best, and perhaps most subdued Nicolas Cage performance of all time.
Despite boasting a fantastic Cage performance, as well as, a strong supporting cast in Alex Wolff and Alan Arkin, what fundamentally makes Pig mesmerizing to watch is the perfectly subversive work from Michael Sarnoski. Pig isn’t a John Wick-esque revenge movie for Nicolas Cage and trust me, it’s for the best. Instead of rinsing and repeating a successful, yet overused action formula, Sarnoski chooses to keep Pig grounded as he directs his focus onto the emotional depths of his characters through the exploration of their grief, as well as their methods of coping.
Not only does Sarnoski direct with substance, but he has also penned a revenge narrative from an unconventionally pacifistic angle, which is realised to perfection in the film’s ending. I would love to go into detail as to why, however, it is simply one of the best endings I’ve ever seen so to spoil it would be unforgivable.
Overall, Pig continues the Nick Cage resurgence with one of his career best performances, as well as, arguably one of his best films to boot. Also boasting a string supporting, as well as, the surprisingly inventive eye of writer/director Michael Sarnoski, Pig is as perfectly subversive as it is surprisingly profound.
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