Pig (2021) Review
It's hard to imagine a world where people are free from the influence of corporate entities and the ideology of living a "successful" life — whatever that means. Though not a new concept in this day and age, there’s a distinct separation between pursuing this “Westernized” sense of success and the pursuit of one’s passion. It’s not fair to blame this issue on the average person because, frankly, life calls for you to adapt and take advantage of your surroundings. People just want to survive. But, when this cycle continues for generations, how does one put a conscious halt to the pursuit of success? There will always be people who ignore the expectations put upon them by their peers; Michaelangelo, Diego Riviera, Agnes Varda, and Frank Zappa to name a few. And in Michael Sarnoski’s beautifully serene directorial debut, Pig, he and Nicolas Cage bring to life the tale of Robin Feld — a fictional culinary icon who mirrors the ideologies of many great artists within our real world.
Pig paints a beautiful portrait of a man who is called “out of retirement” to fall back into a life he thought he had once escaped. Sound familiar? John Wick and the 2021 release, Nobody, have a similar premise; a dad-friendly action film with universal appeal. However, this isn’t a violent film; it’s quite the opposite, honestly. Whatever draws that similarity in the initial act is quickly shed as the film sets itself in place. Instead of repeating the violence of those aforementioned films, Robin Feld finds himself revisiting his passion for cooking. Once an honored chef, Feld leaves the world of artisanal fine dining behind him after the passing of his wife. He ends up finding solace in solitude; living deep in the wilderness with the sole company of his truffle pig. One day, an unknown duo barge into his ramshackle hut and kidnap his pig, launching him on a journey in which he must return to “civilization” once more. With the help of his associate, Amir (Alex Wolff), a young businessman struggling to maintain composure and a sense of purpose in the cutthroat world of truffles, Feld will seemingly do whatever is necessary to get his pig back.
As Amir tags along with Feld, who visits some old acquaintances, his view changes of the man he once considered to be a “nobody.” Feld is often scared to reveal himself to those in “the industry,” but Amir insists on it. They act as perfect foils to each other at first; initially posed because of the apparent generational gap between the two. But as the film goes along, it is revealed that this story is as much Amir’s as it is Feld’s. This film could have started anywhere; there’s an assortment of various plotlines the story could have chosen, whether it be Feld’s downfall after his wife’s passing or his meteoric rise as a chef. But no, Sarnoski begins this film at the end of Feld’s journey and the beginning of Amir’s. Feld, struggling to cope with the loss of his wife, is past the point of passion, but gets pulled back into the world he had left. While Amir, coping with the loss of his mother, is finally on the path to discovering it. The film delves into Amir’s tumultuous relationship with his father, which ends up being a vital turning point in the narrative, as the third act wraps everything up in a manner that feels intrinsic as well as complete. Amir sticks with Feld through this journey and realizes taht all the westernized values instilled in him by his father are nothing but restraints put upon him. This realization frees him to truly live life the way he wants.
Nicolas Cage gives such a beautifully restrained performance; one that captures his character with every movement. The film has such a tranquil ambience to it and Cage understands the direction wholeheartedly. Although many see Cage as a joke now due to his previous roles in a variety of mediocre films, I still think he is one of the greatest actors of all time. And his performance in Pig proves it. For comparison, though Willy’s Wonderland is one of my least favorite movies of the year, it’s not due to Cage’s work in the film. A great director must know how to utilize the talent they have chosen for a project. Like how Panos Cosmatos directs Cage in Mandy (2018) — one of the most unique and viscerally gripping films of the past decade. What Sarnoski and Cage achieve with Pig is a powerhouse of cinema; one that seeps with passion throughout and will make you feel as if you’ve experienced something damn-near transcendent. It’s just one of those films that seemingly has the answer to life itself.
I love Pig. And I hope you do too.
