Movie Review – PIG – Confusing Intent
Table of Contents
My Rating – 2.5 out of 5
Plot Summary (Storyline) – PIG
The basic plotline of Michael Sarnosky‘s PIG is very simple and at first glance, a bit ridiculous. But that one line is not important in the grander scheme of things. This is a movie about love and loss, penance and redemption, and about renouncing worldly riches in return for spiritual ones. Though not quite achieving the depth of a brilliantly made movie, it makes you stop, think and wonder – what is this race of life that we are in? Is the goal as we perceive it at the end of the journey, really the goal that we wanted to achieve? Or is it just another illusion?
Now, coming to that main thread in the storyline – Robin Feld (Nicholas Cage) is an ex-Chef (a minor celebrity, at that), who renounced his normal life and retreated to the deep, dark woods outside Portland, Oregon in the Pacific Northwest. He lives in a ramshackle cottage without the trappings of modern life – no hot water, no phone, no TV, etc. along with his Truffle Hunting Pig. The two are very close – living, eating, and sleeping together in the middle of this vast wilderness. Rob’s only connection to the outside world is through Amir (Alex Wolff), who comes to buy his truffles and leaves him some supplies in return. Rob hasn’t been to Portland in more than 15 years.
Then, one day, the unthinkable happens! Rob‘s Pig is stolen and he’s left unconscious on the floor. A thoroughly distraught Rob follows the trail the next morning and after a bit of amateur sleuthing comes to know his pig has been taken to the city. Enlisting Amir‘s help, Rob goes to Portland to find his Pig. Amir tries to discourage him by pointing out that it is a pointless exercise and he can just get another one, but Rob explains that he loves it and getting and training another one would take more than a year. Since the animal was his only companion, his attachment to it is deeply profound.
Portland is the place where Rob had a successful restaurant, and then he left it all behind to live the life of a recluse deep into the forest. The backstory here is not delved into though oblique references are made towards a Laurie (wife/partner?) and some tragic ending lurking therein. Amir wasn’t aware of Rob’s celebrity status and finds out during their travels together. Rob revisits all his old contacts in trying to trace who has taken his beloved animal. Throughout this part of the film, more is made out of Rob‘s spiritual wisdom than what one assumes – not a John Wick type of vendetta after his dog was killed.
Conclusion – Movie Review of PIG
This is far more mellow and in places, deep. Nicholas Cage delivers one of his best roles in this – intense, methodical, and full of hidden meanings. Amir is a callow, impulsive young man, who shoots off his mouth and then thinks. The interactions between Rob and Amir are the highlights of this movie and many life lessons are taught through them. The biggest lesson from this movie is the illusory nature of material achievements of one’s life when in the true sense, you’ve come with empty hands and you’ll go that way too. The things that we hanker after between the phases of life and death are actually meaningless and worth nothing.
That being said, this still does not qualify as a great movie, only a good one! With that thought, I’ll leave you to figure out the message in this movie, it is quite a profound one….
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