Pig (2021)

 

If you ever needed proof that Nicolas Cage can actually act in a very reserved and low-key manner, then this is the film you need to see. While it's true that the man can go a little overboard at times (especially when there's no director to reign him in), given the correct material and setup Cage can bring some genuine feels to a role. 

Case and point 'Pig', a slow, subtle and emotional little film about loss. 

Cage plays Rob, a man who clearly has some history and who now lives like a hermit somewhere in the woods around Portland. His only companion is a pig that he uses to go and dig for truffles. Rob's only connection to the human world is a guy called Amir, who pays him for the truffles he finds. But then one night Rob is attacked and his pig taken from him. So now he calls up Amir to try and find his beloved animal. Rob clearly doesn't want to return to the city, but he knows he has no choice. 

When the two reach the city, Amir soon discovers that Ron isn't just this hermit he only knows from the shabby appearance in the woods, but Rob actually used to be someone extremely important in the world of cuisine and the search reveals more about Rob and Amir themselves than they first realize... 

This isn't a film about spectacle. Now, this is really understated. Cage runs through the film almost completely silent, only rarely speaking and throughout he looks scruffy and bloodied, in stark contrast with Amir who is squeaky clean. In a strange roundabout way, this story does more for the difficult relationship between Amir and his father (a bigshot in restaurant circles) than for Rob and his pig. 

For a film that is so low key, there are a couple of scenes that truly stand out as being either poignant or very well written and shot. The first one being the one where Cage confronts a chef in a very fancy restaurant. The tension builds and with only a few interactions the tone shifts and it is a pretty dramatic reveal about how people sometimes do what is expected and not what they want to. 

It's pretty bloody good.

The other one is near the end when Cage prepares dinner for Amir's father. I won't spoil what happens, but you will be completely invested and the acting of Adam Arkin is so subtle, the emotions will seap into your soul instead of being poured in. 

Good stuff.

If you are in the mood for a subtle drama and a very timid Nicolas Cage conveying more with one look than a plethora of words and actions, this is it. It is surprisingly good and will catch you off guard.