What can one say about Nicolas Cage? He’s an Academy Award winner with 109 credits on IMDb. On top of that, he still finds the time to unsuccessfully search for the Holy Grail and drunkenly loiter at a fancy restaurant in Los Angeles.
Cage’s latest film, “Pig,” written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, has him playing former world-class chef and current wilderness recluse/truffle hunter Robin Feld as he goes on a quest through the city of Portland, Oregon to find his lost truffle pig. Along for the ride is up-and-coming restaurant supplier Amir, played by Alex Wolff.
If the premise alone doesn’t sell you on the film, there’s something else that “Pig” has going for it: it’s short.
While the film clocks in at an hour and a half, it still finds a way to drag out the story. While watching the movie, I thought, “I guess this can happen.” Apparently, the original cut of the film was over two hours, which makes a lot of sense. If the film had that time, it might have gone from okay to something good or maybe even great.
Since the titular pig is really only there to set the plot in motion, the film mainly focuses on Rob and Amir’s relationship as it evolves from a transactional business partnership to a supportive mentor/mentee relationship.
Despite the short runtime, the film does a good job peeling back the layers of mystery surrounding its lead characters and their dealings with loss. Every other character treats Robin Feld with reverence, which may be confusing at first.
As for Cage’s performance, his dialogue is sparse to say the least. What he lacks in dialogue, he more than makes up for in hair and bloodstains. As a man living in the forests of Oregon for 15 years, Rob has the long hair, bushy beard and quiet demeanor to match.
When Rob does speak, it’s low and restrained, almost like a whisper. If you’re expecting a classic Nic Cage freakout, don’t worry — there’s one towards the end.
At its core, “Pig” is a simple story about loss, healing and how food can bring people together. I didn’t really know what to expect going in, but I wanted to like it more than I did. And who knows, if it gets a sequel, maybe it’ll be called “Pig 2: Cage in the City.”
