Pig

"PIG may be a "small" film, but I'd rather know that people are going to experience it on the big screen, because the experience should be as immersive as possible. The film is full of different textures, whether it's the Portland setting, the actors' performance, the music or the sound design... So I hope that people will be able to see it in theaters first, even though I know we're living in crazy times because of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you'd rather see the film at home safely when it's released on VOD, by all means, but I'd recommend seeing it in theaters instead." - Michael Sarnoski

Some young directors seem to be born with an undeniable gift for transcending a simple story into something spiritual and deeply human at the same time. Certainly the first film written and directed by the young director Michael Sarnoski makes him enter the big league and especially allows Nicolas Cage to find here one of his best roles. While the latter seemed to indulge in a succession of B-movies more or less successful, Pig allows him to find a real role of composition.

The plot of the film, which could lead some to compare this film to John Wick, certainly starts from the same point of departure but does not go in the same direction. When we discover the first images of the film in which we discover a man, Rob (Nicolas Cage) who seems to have fled civilization to live in the middle of the Oregon forest with his pet, a pig, we can easily understand the director's desire to return to a pure cinema. Rob survives by being a truffle hunter thanks to his pig's powerful sense of smell, but when the pig is kidnapped and Rob is attacked by various people in his home, he is forced to return to Portland to find the person who stole his beloved pig. Not only will he be helped by Amir (Alex Wolff), but more importantly, he will have to reconnect with people from his past when he was one of the best chefs in the area. 

Michael Sarnoski's cleverly written script prefers to move away from the action movie and towards a psychological drama highlighting the city of Portland and its underground world. In the same way, the character of Rob is not the equivalent of John, a former killer experienced in combat even if he knows perfectly how to use a knife in a kitchen. As such, the many scenes featuring Rob's art find an exciting visual approach here that really whets the appetite.  Those who expect another action movie with Nicolas Cage might be disappointed by the treatment of the film which is really clever and gripping. Michael Sarnoski takes care of the writing of his film as much as his direction and allows us to find Nicolas Cage in a role in which he proves to be an excellent actor once again. In the role of Rob, Nicolas Cage finds his magnetic presence on the screen and above all shows that he is still capable of surprising his public and breaking his image. While Hollywood seems to have forgotten him and that he is currently shooting only in independent films, Pig should easily be able to reopen the doors of Hollywood studios as his performance on screen is perfect.

Even if the title of the film refers to Rob's pet, he is not omnipresent on the screen and appears only in the beginning of the film. Pig is more oriented towards a film about grief than an action film like John Wick. Rob here does not inflict his personal revenge but instead suffers numerous attacks whether it be in a private club where Rob is voluntarily beaten up or in a confrontation with one of his former acquaintances. In spite of everything, he remains upright and dignified as if his will to find his pig is fundamental for him. Rob seems to be a ghost from the past whose humanity has disappeared, he wanders around Portland with a will to remain whole to his principles.

Certainly Pig is a film that stands out this year and shows that American independent cinema is a fertile ground for giving actors consistent roles. Less money for the production but a real artistic freedom that gives Pig a very special aura. The visual approach of director Michael Sarnoski makes Pig one of the must-see films of this year and we can only thank the French independent distributor Metropolitan FilmExport for distributing such a film in France with a real visibility, whether it is within the framework of the Deauville American Film Festival or by putting it forward. Certainly, we are looking forward to Michael Sarnoski's new film

Pig
Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski
Story by Michael Sarnoski, Vanessa Block
Produced by Vanessa Block, Dimitra Tsingou, Nicolas Cage, Steve Tisch, David Carrico, Adam Paulsen, Thomas Benski, Ben Giladi, Dori Rath, Joseph Restanio
Starring Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin
Cinematography : Patrick Scola
Edited by Brett W. Bachman
Music by Alexis Grapsas, Philip Klein
Production companies : AI Film, Endeavor Content, Pulse Films, BlockBox Entertainment, Valparaiso Pictures, Saturn Films
Distributed by Neon (United States), Metropolitan FilmExport (France)
Release date : July 16, 2021 (United States), October 27, 2021 (France)
Running time : 92 minutes

Seen on September 5, 2021 at the Centre International de Deauville

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