Michael Sarnoski's "Pig"

TONIGHT’S FILM.

FIRST, THE COMMUNITY REC.

Each week, I ask the tnmn community to reply to this email with your favorite movies that fit an arbitrary theme. Before we dive into tonight’s film, here are the recs from last week.

Last week’s category: Non-Mission Impossible Tom Cruise movies.

▶ “Risky Business” (1983). You shut your mouth when you’re talking to me! Rec by Phil M.

▶ “Jerry Macguire” (1996). You had me at hello. Rec by Caroline L.

▶ “Magnolia” (1999). Tom Cruise. Julianne Moore. Philip Seymour Hoffman. William H. Macy. Rec by Heather R.

▶ “Minority Report” (2002). Tom Cruise has an impressive lineup of enjoyable Sci-Fi movies, like Edge of Tomorrow, “War of the Worlds”, and “Oblivion”, but this is my favorite. Rec by Charlie B.

▶ “Tropic Thunder” (2008). Because it’s funny AF. Rec by Phil K.

▶ 👑 “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014). Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers. Aliens and Emily Blunt. You can watch this movie over and over again. Rec by Kaylee C., Monish M., and Owen R. ³

MICHAEL SARNOSKI'S “PIG”

WHAT IT IS.

A spoiler-free description of the movie.

A man makes his living foraging for truffle with his pig.

IF YOU LIKE.

If you like these things, then you’ll like the film.

▶ Quiet. “Pig” extracts a lot from its quieter moments with thoughtful performances from the cast and beautifully composed shots.

▶ Serious Nicolas Cage. Over the years, we’ve seen him help himself to someone else’s baby, swap faces with John Travolta, and offer his take on Dracula. Few actors offer the sort of role selection whiplash that Nicolas Cage provides. This role is a compelling reminder of his talent.

▶ Fine dining. There’s a few tongue-in-cheek shots at fine dining culture. Almost in the vein of ”The Menu”.

MY TAKE.

What I liked about it.

Michael Sarnoski's “Pig” is a refreshingly simple story about a man and his pig. It’s a rumination on grief and love. The matter and matter-nots of life. Starring the one and only, Nicolas Cage.

Perhaps this is the challenging part about casting Nicolas Cage. Over the years, he’s established himself as a sort of cinematic wild card. When he’s in a film, audiences may go in with something of an expectation, depending on what they’ve seen him in. He’s dabbled in esteemed roles as much as he has in the utterly ridiculous. And none of his films are great reference points for what to expect from him in “Pig”.

For this reason, if you can, I’d encourage you to watch the film before you continue reading. See if it in any way resembles what you might have expected. Just as an exercise. Then, come back and finish reading the newsletter.

If you left to watch the movie, welcome back. If you didn’t, we’re not friends anymore.

Like any Michelin-star decorated chef ¹, Sarnoski is chiefly concerned with balancing ingredients in his feature debut. Balance is what allows each ingredient in the film to sing.

His primary ingredient: silence. He grants plenty of runtime to his characters’ quieter moments. An exquisite, lengthy glare from a grizzled Nicolas Cage. A slow, delicate chew of a dish that reminds co-star Adam Arkin’s character of a time long passed. The things these men can say without uttering a single word.

This primary texture of quiet is balanced by the more sparse, louder moments in the film. The violence feels more shocking, precisely because the quiet is so frequent. The humor feels funnier, because it almost feels like you aren’t supposed to laugh. It’s really something to watch it all come together.

I’ll leave you with this confession. An understated, burly, bearded Nicolas Cage is my favorite kind. And after this film, if I might be so bold, it’ll be your favorite kind too.

OH, NEAT.

A fact or two about the production that makes you say “oh, neat”.

▶ The production team couldn’t afford a “trained acting pig”. So, they drove around Portland visiting pig farmers until they found Brandy, the lead pig. She’s a Kunekune pig, which is a breed originally from New Zealand. ²

THE ONER.

One great line of dialogue from the film.