Pig (2021)

It’s a long time now since Nicholas Cage was relevant in cinema. Arguments are frequently had over what was his last good film (for the record I would argue Kick-Ass [2010] although I haven’t seen a great amount of recent output) and it’s generally believed he’s way past his best. That may well be the case, but whatever the truth, Pig is at the very least a step in the right direction. Cage is Rob, a truffle hunter whose pig is stolen from his shack in the woods where he has taken refuge ever since his wife died. We come to realise that the Pig has become something of a replacement for his wife, in the sense of companionship and someone who trusts him implicitly (as Rob tells Amir “I don’t fuck the pig.”) Amir is the man Rob supplies the truffles to for payment, and someone who is in the restaurant business, albeit in the shadow of his incredibly famous and rich father. It comes to pass that Rob used to be a famous chef; we learn this as Amir reluctantly agrees to help Rob try and locate his pig and the thieves, and have to cross many metaphorical bridges, including an underground restaurant staff fight club. Pig is an odd film, there’s no getting around that, and the middle section is a bit of a mess but there are some interesting themes, and also some that disappear completely without apparent reason. It’s a debut feature for director Michael Sarnoski and there’s undoubtedly enough on show here to keep a close eye on what he does next; and he’s not the only one, I’ll also be keeping one eye open for the direction the Mr. Cage decides to take. 6.7/10