Film Review: PIG (2021): Nicolas Cage is Back in Top Form with Subtle Dramatic Film

Pig Review

Pig (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Michael Sarnoski, and starring Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin, Julia Bray, Elijah Ungvary, Brian Sutherland, David Shaughnessy, Gretchen Corbett, Sean Tarjyoto, Darius Pierce, Tom Walton, Davis King, Nina Belforte, David Knell and Dana Millican.

Nicolas Cage is back in top form in the subtle, powerful new movie, Pig, directed by Michael Sarnoski. About two thirds into the film, a key character asks loner Robin Feld (Cage) why he’s going to such extremes to find his truffle hunting pig. Robin’s simple response is “I love her.” Sometimes, in life, people are motivated by love whether it be the love of a spouse, a child or even an animal. That is the case here in the compelling picture which showcases a fine turn by Cage that ranks among his best screen work to date.

Robin Feld is a former chef who lives in the Oregon wilderness with his truffle hunting pig as the film opens. He is visited by a truffle dealer from the city named Amir (Alex Wolff) and these two engage in periodic business exchanges together. When Robin’s pig is kidnapped one night, the plot kicks into gear as Cage’s character must return to the city life he abandoned in Portland in order to try to find the pig who is not only his means of making money but, also, his best friend.

Robin enlists Amir’s help in finding out who took the pig and why it was stolen. Amir is reluctant to help at first but he soon starts driving Robin around in order to find out where the pig has been taken. Robin wants his friend back. This leads the audience to discover facts about Robin’s past such as why he gave up his fast paced life to become a recluse. Eventually, Robin is beaten up for reasons you will find out and he boasts bruises and scars as he continues on his journey to find the beloved pig.

Adam Arkin plays Amir’s dad, Darius. Arkin’s Darius does what needs to be done to stay at the top of his business and as the plot develops, the audience can grow to truly hate this character. Darius plays a key role in the film’s plot and because of Arkin’s frightening turn, this film also becomes a powerful character study of the relationship between the father and his son. As Robin enters these characters’ lives as an overseer, he learns things about human nature that, perhaps, remind him of why he went into seclusion and why he loves his pig so much.

This film is told in three parts. They are all equally successful as they divide the film into sections which help make the audience understand the structure of the plot and the meaning behind the film’s central themes.

The supporting cast is all top notch. David Knell, in particular, stands out. He portrays Chef Finway and, for a few minutes, steals the movie with his performance. During the time he is on screen, he and Robin exchange some dialogue about the past and the true nature of why Finway is currently doing what he is doing from a professional standpoint. It turns out Finway and Robin were once colleagues and the revelations in this scene are quite intriguing.

Cage hasn’t been this good in years. His performance could get overlooked for an Oscar nomination due to the fact that the role is not very glamorous. Cage has truly shown his range as an actor throughout his career and this role is simply mesmerizing as the actor becomes Robin who is actually a decent human being as opposed to the majority of people he encounters in the film. Only a young boy he meets (Davis King) is really innocent and King and Cage play off each other remarkably well in their brief scene together.

The film closes with a soft rendition of the Bruce Springsteen song, “I’m on Fire.” How the film gets to that last heart-wrenching scene makes for a powerful experience. Though Robin has confronted his past, we’re not quite sure of his future but we do know that sometimes even a pig can help one through the tough times in life. I think the fact that Robin would sacrifice everything to know if his pig was alright is pretty darn amazing and, as the film plays out, pretty darn realistic too. This is a very good, truly moving film.

Rating: 9/10

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