PIG
Starring: Nicolas Cage and Alex Wolff
Director: Michael Sarnoski
QUENTIN
Look... I get it. When you see a mad-lib synopsis like "Nic Cage searches for his stolen truffle pig," you assume it's another bargain bin Cage movie. But let me tell you - it's unironically excellent. In what could be described as a more meditative and emotional John Wick, an uncharacteristically restrained Cage gives his best performance in years, reminding us why he has a Best Actor Oscar (twice nominated!). Meanwhile, writer-director Michael Sarnoski’s quietly beautiful direction is perfect for the themes of loss and loneliness. It is, hands down, one of the most surprising and captivating movies of the year.
JACOB
Less revenge thriller and more meditative rumination on passions lost and sought, Pig is an unexpectedly beautiful journey featuring an incredibly understated performance from Nicolas Cage. I'm not quite sure if the film around him has enough scope to work as well as he does, but it doesn't have to. Cage is better than he's been in decades, assisted by a script more interested in what it means to love something than what it means to lose it. It's a phenomenal debut for director Michael Sarnoski and the camerawork by Patrick Scola is one of the film's many additional highlights.
