By Adam Ray Palmer Kicking off our Edinburgh Film Festival debut is the return of Nicolas Cage. Serving as the lead and producer; Cage brings to the Scottish waters a new dark thriller. Cage has made 12 films in two years since the pandemic started, and perhaps Edinburgh is screening the best of the dozen. Middle-aged men with deep emotional trauma, what a genre that has become. First, we had Liam Neeson’s Taken saga with his daughter being snatched. Then we had Keanu Reeves’ dog being murdered in the John Wick series, and now we have Cage and his beloved pig. Nicolas Cage plays Robin "Rob" Feld, a former chef turned reclusive and asocial truffle forager with his trusty piglet friend. He sells the truffles to Amir (Alex Wolff), a young and untested supplier to high-end eateries. From this moment, it follows the middle-aged trauma variety of film as the pig is stolen by unidentified assailants and Rob is beaten. The next hour of the runtime has Rob and Amir searching for the culprits, turning stones over from the past as they tackle emotional conflicts along the way. Rob’s pain and suffering didn’t begin with his four-legged friend being abducted, but years earlier when his wife passed away. With his lover’s death, Rob withdrew from society for the off-grid, quiet life. But with his truffle-finding skills being seen as invaluable, it was a matter of time before his world got flipped upside down again. Amir (Wolff) also has his own sorrow as his mother attempted suicide and he must come to terms with his fragile position in life. As he reminisces with Rob over breakfast, he voices his admiration for Rob as a chef. Amir's parents' marriage was an unhappy one, but Amir recalls his parents being at their happiest following a dinner at Rob's restaurant many years ago. It’s an ill-fated connection the two protagonists share, but a bond that will get them through their latest nightmare. And that’s where Pig differs… the relationship between Rob and Amir is something fresh to this “genre”. With alumni movies Taken and John Wick, it’s very much a solo mission of revenge. In Pig, it weighs a lot heavier in the emotional stakes as they navigate their grief together and search for answers they long for without even realising. It’s an intelligent movie that relies on the stellar acting of Cage especially, as he turns in a well-constructed piece of a lonely, devastated man looking for the remedy to his decade-long hurt. On the whole, Pig is a great entrant to the “middle-aged man with a problem” genre… but just don’t expect the explosive stunts. Cineroom’s rating: 4 stars Pig is released UK-wide on 20th August 2021 showing in selected cinemas – certificate 15. Leave a Reply. |
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18/8/2021
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