Pig was one of the films which got critical acclaim and earned Nicolas Cage his second nomination at the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor, his career launched back and were once again seen as a respectable actor. I only knew of this film because of Nicolas Cage and his mesmerizing performance, which it is, he's utterly perfect in this role. He's also a producer on the film. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a score of four out of four stars, writing: "The unpredictable Cage delivers some of his best work in years." Pig wasn't made for the commercial audience, it's an independent film and one with such a strange premise, an art film and 'well made film' at heart. Noel Murray, in his review of the film for the Los Angeles Times, wrote that, "Though its plot follows the same rough outline of a John Wick-style shoot-em-up, Pig is actually a quiet and often melancholy meditation on loss, anchored by a character who wishes he could shake free of the person he used to be."
A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
Pig is directed by Michael Sarnoski (who directed the upcoming A Quiet Place: Day One), from a screenplay and story by himself and Vanessa Block. It won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. The film stars Nicolas Cage in the main role, it also stars Alex Wolff and Adam Arkin. I've written how brilliant Nicolas Cage is in the role and although Cage is almost solely alone to thank for the acting, the director/writer helped a lot. With a movie that could have been extremely strange, Sarnoski intelligently kept this film grounded and you see throughout every scene how much heart went into making this film. "Pig" takes time to develop, both the story and characters, Michael Sarnoski does it brilliantly. There are so many incredible moments and brilliantly written dialogue scenes, and it's the characters which make these scenes so interesting, for example the scene at the restaurant with Rob, Amir and Derek. Though its short run time, this 90 minute film has stronger writing and characterization than any commercial 120 minute film. That takes skill and Michael Sarnoski shows just that. His writing fleshes out all its characters, which combined with fantastic performances, makes them feel all the more real. Sarnoski's use of long takes throughout the film also adds to this realism. The camera work is excellent and so is the editing, great direction and cinematography. The film is shot with this slick color, focusing on different color palettes for the different Parts. Cinematographer Patrick Scola is absolutely perfect in his craft. Pig has been cited as among the best films of the 2020s and the 21st century. I agree. It's a film full of heart, full of drama and simply a beautiful film in a certain way. It's the philosophical nature and how the screenplay delves into its themes, like loss. It's magnificent.
A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
Pig is directed by Michael Sarnoski (who directed the upcoming A Quiet Place: Day One), from a screenplay and story by himself and Vanessa Block. It won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. The film stars Nicolas Cage in the main role, it also stars Alex Wolff and Adam Arkin. I've written how brilliant Nicolas Cage is in the role and although Cage is almost solely alone to thank for the acting, the director/writer helped a lot. With a movie that could have been extremely strange, Sarnoski intelligently kept this film grounded and you see throughout every scene how much heart went into making this film. "Pig" takes time to develop, both the story and characters, Michael Sarnoski does it brilliantly. There are so many incredible moments and brilliantly written dialogue scenes, and it's the characters which make these scenes so interesting, for example the scene at the restaurant with Rob, Amir and Derek. Though its short run time, this 90 minute film has stronger writing and characterization than any commercial 120 minute film. That takes skill and Michael Sarnoski shows just that. His writing fleshes out all its characters, which combined with fantastic performances, makes them feel all the more real. Sarnoski's use of long takes throughout the film also adds to this realism. The camera work is excellent and so is the editing, great direction and cinematography. The film is shot with this slick color, focusing on different color palettes for the different Parts. Cinematographer Patrick Scola is absolutely perfect in his craft. Pig has been cited as among the best films of the 2020s and the 21st century. I agree. It's a film full of heart, full of drama and simply a beautiful film in a certain way. It's the philosophical nature and how the screenplay delves into its themes, like loss. It's magnificent.