The Movie: Pig
The Director: Michael Sarnoski
The Cast: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff
The Story: A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
The Review:
At first glance this seems like it could be just some silly Nicolas Cage movie that comes and goes like so many other low budget, indie films that he has been a part of. I mean, dude has been in so many movies you've never heard of it's kind of ridiculous how prolific he has been over the years. One of the things that made me think there might be something special about this movie is that Neon Picked it up and they have been one of my favorite distributors over the last few years with films like Possessor, Portrait of a Lady On Fire, and Parasite under their belt.
This movie was shot in and around Portland and it feels very Portland which is nice because some filmmakers come in without a real understanding of one of the country's most unique and food centered cities. Michael Sarnoski write and directed this movie and he seems to have a deep understanding of what this story needed to be in just about every way from the nuances of being a truffle hunter to the ins and outs of the downtown restaurant scene, it all just works, especially when these things come face to face and go head to head.
One of the best scenes in the movie and one of the best scenes I have watched this year from any movie takes place in a restaurant where Cage's character has a conversation with the head chef of a super trendy, high profile restaurant and, without giving anything away, it's kind of life changing in several different ways. I mean that for the characters and maybe for you as a viewer if it hits you the right way and it probably will. Cage's performance throughout the movie is about as good as I have ever seen him and should be remembered as a contender come awards season.
I want to say a lot about this movie and I also want to leave it all alone for you to experience yourself so there's a lot I'm not going to say. What I will type out is that it is a surprisingly in depth look at family, culture, society, the economy, living out your dreams, and understanding who you are as a human being. Yes, that's a lot for what is on the surface a wilderness man trying to find his kidnapped pig and that's what makes it all so brilliant. It's a very quiet movie that will leave you with some highly impactful moments and a lot to think about by the time it's all said and done.
The Verdict:
Pig is quite simply one of my favorite movies of the year and Nicolas Cage gives one of the best performances of his career. I don't know if there is a more meaningful and impactful story that I have seen recently so, if you are a human being and you have emotions, this is a movie I would highly recommend.
The Recommendation:
Lorelei directed by Sabrina Doyle
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