Pig (2021)
Perhaps it starts with just one word. Pig. That’s all you need to begin this simple story. Even if the majority of us city dwellers don’t own an actual pig, we can relate to the bond and personal connection any person can have to an animal. A pet is more than just a companion, they are a friend that you can hang out with sans any type of judgment - the ultimate source of unconditional love. So in the opening scenes of this film, we are in for something special when watching our main character live a comfortable, reclusive life in the woods with just a reliable, loving pig by his side. But the title means something more as it does for the kind soul we end up spending time with here.
The movie consists of three acts, and the first act introduces us to Rob (Nicholas Cage), a shabby reclusive retired chef residing alone in the middle of a remote forest area of Oregon. His main source of income is those wild truffles to be dug from the underground of the forest, and, yes, he has a little foraging pig to accompany and assist him during his routine truffle hunt in the forest. But you can tell there is closeness between human and animal here even if the scenes are succinct and relatively dialogue-free. Rob’s only connection with the world outside is Amir (Alex Wolff), a cocky hipster who comes to Rob’s forest cabin in his fancy yellow sports car. He has worked as a supplier of those expensive cooking ingredients such as truffle, and Rob has been one of his most important sources of income, though they are not particularly close to each other despite a little connection between Amir’s family and Rob revealed later in the story. Rob barely says a word to him during moments that normally would warrant a response. A couple of mysterious figures suddenly break into his cabin in the middle of the night stealing his pig before violently knocking him down with a blunt weapon. When he manages to regain his consciousness some later time, these intruders are already gone with his pig, and, despite the bleeding wound, he soon becomes quite determined to retrieve his pig.
Writer/Director Michael Sarnoski lets what follows unfold in a relaxed manner without a lot of flashy style which is exactly what this narrative calls for. Throw in a top-tier Nicolas Cage performance, and this movie winds up being quietly beautiful, unique, and unlike anything else. As many other reviews have noted, the trailers and overall concept might make a potential viewer think they’re about to walk into a John Wick-style action revenge thriller, but Pig is ultimately about something deeper and more profound than revenge. It’s hard not to spoil specifically where this film ends up going but this is also an experience you should know little about walking in. Pig is about processing loss and feeling intensely while trying to thrive in the modern world, where we are constantly pressured to do what we have to, rather than what we want to. As a consequence we become detached from ourselves and emotionally shut out, making us almost incapable of processing long-term grief. There’s a moment involving a cassette tape being played that truly moved me and the film as a whole, continues to live inside my mind like the great works of early David Gordon Green. My only quibble is some of the handheld camerawork didn’t quite fit at certain instances, even if Rob is a little uneasy roaming the streets. Plus there’s an intensely violent moment at an underground fight club of sorts that felt a little out of place but it’s not enough to take away from the overall experience of watching something this strikingly original.
We also have to recognize that Nicholas Cage has always been one of our great actors and I’ve recently thought some of his best work was seen in David Gordon Green’s Joe. Another one word three letter title. But there’s a sublime moment here involving an encounter with a chef he briefly mentored that is up there with the best scenes of Cage’s career. There’s humor and heartache from all involved during that scene and it is put together in a way that made me grateful to be inside of a theater experiencing this without distraction. Pig ultimately becomes a celebration of one’s humanity and gifts even if they’ve chosen to live as a hermit, away from the rather inhumane outside world that is more cutthroat than compassionate. This slowly evolves into a melancholic and deeply introspective portrait of someone whose life has been turned upside down and still manages to find comfort in routine and stillness. (Similarly to something like Leave No Trace but executed very differently). Also as Rob says, “we don’t get a lot of things to really care about.” When you care about a companion, it hurts to see them go. Cage sells every emotion throughout this film and rarely does he raise his voice in a humorous manner to sell us on what he’s going through. There are definite films of the past few years that I couldn’t get on board with due to some tonal shifts or left-field acting. Here it’s all about holding back and moving forward with this character. That reason alone makes this worth seeing but there is plenty more to adore here from a stunning directorial debut that will likely be talked about by all who are blessed to see it.
