How does one go about describing the new movie with Nicholas Cage, titled Pig? I’ve been asked to describe it and to be honest, it sounds a little strange. Imagine if you will, a world-famous chef along the lines of Julia Child, (a former legend in the world of cuisine) who decides to become a recluse in the mountains of Oregon. That person still loves to cook, and they barter for goods and services with a wealthy Portlander by trading truffles, (an edible fungi in the family of mushrooms that is highly desired), which are found in part, by a pet pig, his only companion in the isolated world he lives in. Then, imagine someone steals that pig and he in return the former chef must go to Portland with his acquaintance who he has been trading with to find the pig. I know, it sounds crazy, doesn’t it? On the surface it sounds like a role many have accused Nicholas Cage of falling back into, a role of a once acclaimed actor who has been type cast and lost most, if not all his ability. While a part of the type casting may be somewhat true, the other truth is, Nicholas Cage steals this movie with his incredible acting ability, among the best he has displayed on screen in many years, if not, ever.
Pig
tells a terrific story with unique and interesting characters. We see a journey
of what once was, with the character played by Cage, Rob, a world class chef at
one time still respected among the top chefs of the region. We see glimpses of
Cage’s troubled life through the brilliant direction of Michael Sarnoski. Also
playing as Cage’s sidekick, the person helping him out is Alex Wolff who plays
the character of Amir. In the journey not only do we see a reclaiming of life
from the character of Rob, but we see the impact another person can have on
another with the relationship between Rob and Amir. Each have troubles, each
have fallen on hard times. How they have chosen to live life is the difference.
While one seemingly has gone astray, the Cage character, it is really he who
has found peace. Amir on the other hand comes from extravagant wealth and has had
difficult family relationships. We see that the Beatles may have been correct
in their line, “Money can’t buy you love.”
Pig
is as thought provoking of a movie as I have seen in a long time. The
distribution and movie company unfortunately cut over an hour out of the
directors finished cut. I would have personally liked to have seen more of that
story and hopefully at some point the Directors cut is made available so it can
be seen. Cage’s performance is brilliantly acted and just to see the character and
the acting chops of Cage would make it worth it for me.
This
low budget film, (such a low budget they couldn’t hire a trained pig and the
one they did use bit Cage numerous times during filming) is told in a wonderful
way with tremendous integrity to film making. Yes, the story is somewhat quirky,
especially when you think of the premise, yet the message is thought provoking.
What provides happiness in life? Why would someone leave an apparently highly
appreciated and recognized life to move to a point of isolation? How well do we
really know each other? How do we obtain our values in life and ultimately, do
we truly make the sacrifices to obtain happiness and joy? Then, well then there is also the reality
that for many who live alone, their pets take on a far more valuable role than
many may want to accept. We also see a
tremendous ability for one to change as they get to know another, even one they
may not have liked. It shows the
importance in this world of social media, to maybe make the effort to get to
know others in a real way as opposed to just a social media way, you know,
where the concept of “friends” has been bastardized about as much as any word
in the English language”
I loved this movie and I loved Nicholas Cage in the movie. I won’t be surprised
to see him nominated for an Oscar for this role. I don’t think he would win as
there just isn’t enough diversity in his character that one would like to see,
but for him, to be back to where he is even mentioned for Oscar consideration
is a huge step for him. Frankly, I’m glad because I like Nicholas Cage and
believe he has received undue criticism in the past. Maybe that also says something in tune with
the movie Pig. We should never give up doing the things we love and in the way
we love. After all, if Cage is happy with his roles why be critical? He has
certainly been busy, I will say though, what a joy it was to see him back
expertly delivering his chops.
On a scale of 1 – 10 for the two primary characters in the movie, I’ll reduce the perfect score of 10 down to 8 because they both did such a terrific job. So, I give a very enjoyable, thought provoking 8.
To see the trailer for the movie pig, click the following link:
Pig - Official Trailer (2021) Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff - YouTube
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