Rent Pig (2021)

Poor - Pig review by JR

The film opened with the reclusive Nicolas Cage clearly fond of his pig. When it is stolen he begins a search and went back to his old haunts - a city and gradually it is revealed that he was once a highly-regarded chef. The reason for his life-style choice of supplying truffles instead of cooking with them is not really clear. There is a strange and cruel fist-fight scene of no relevance at all. The dialogue is mumbled.

The film is unsatisfactory on every level and a waste of a couple of hours.

Disappointing - Pig review by LC

I was hoping for more, being a big fan of truffles and Nicolas Cage. Sadly, the film never really engaged me. The bizarre underworld of the restaurant scene made no sense, and just seemed to be there for Cage to get a kicking. Perhaps he has taken too many lunatic film roles to ever be taken seriously again. Disappointing.

Despite the unlikely premise this is a good film - Pig review by MP

This is a arthouse film that would have vanished into the background without a A list actor to make it stand out. Nicholas Cage provided this star appeal and also did a great job with the main character. It is very watchable and I certainly enjoyed it but it really is a arthouse film just with a flashing star light above it. If you dont like arthouse films then you might not be so keen. The entire plot could probably be summarised in less words than this review so I suggest just sitting back and enjoying the experience.

A Surprise - Tender & Thoughtful Drama - Pig review by GI

As prolific as Nicolas Cage is with the films he churns out you never know when one is going to surprise you. I don't mean surprise by Cage going even more deranged or manic in a character but the opposite. Here's just such a film, a restrained, interesting drama that sets an early tone for a revenge narrative, all very Cage, but then becomes something quite different. Here he plays Rob, a hermit who lives in the dense Oregonian forest above Portland, in a small shack from where he hunts truffles which he sells to a young businessman from town, Amir (Alex Wolff). Rob has a truffle pig to which he is very fond as it's his only companion. Until one day someone breaks in and steals his pig. With no hesitation Rob makes his way out of the wilderness and recruits a reluctant Amir to help him track it down. The course of this hunt is not what you expect as Rob's very interesting past is gradually revealed and a surprising one it is too. So don't expect another 'old man with a special set of skills' story as in violence is the trade. This is a more gentle, subtle and at times heart warming story with some interesting twists. Cage is rather good here showing a tender and seasoned characterisation that marks him for a sensitive and nuanced actor. There's a wonderful scene where he visits a posh restaurant in his pig search, a place where they specialise in 'deconstructed' local dishes and Rob effectively manages to 'deconstruct' the very pompous chef. It's all quite well presented and well worth checking out if just to see Cage as he can be.

Next to Bad Lieutenant, this is Cage's best performance. An incredible, emotional rollercoaster - Pig review by TB

In the past couple of years, Nicholas Cage has had a career renaissance. Gone (for the most part,) are the multiple films churned out each year with little to no quality, with many of them really scraping the bottom of the barrel. We now are treated to films such as Mandy, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and one of my other personal favourites Joe.

But this film really is exceptional, for so many reasons. One of the biggest is that it is in many ways a complete rug pull from what you expect. One review I did read, which said it better than anyone else, was that many people would look at this and think "Taken, but with a pig instead of a daughter, but then becomes the furthest thing from that imaginable."

I am going to do my best to be as vague as possible, because this is one of those films which, the less you know, the better. But this is the most extraordinarily sensitive, delicate and emotional film you could imagine. Cage's ex-chef character, Rob Feld, lives an isolated and idyllic life, making his living foraging for expensive truffles with his prized and irreplaceable-to-him pig. Then one night he is brutally attacked and his pig stolen, emotionally destroying him. This sets off a journey to find and rescue his pig.

For many people, as referenced above, this is where they imagine that we get a full crazy Cage performance and ludicrous story. But this story does the total opposite to that and thank God. Because this film then becomes an odyssey through the underbelly of Portland, taking all sorts of turns you wouldn't imagine.

But the other thing is just how bloody emotional this film is. It is in parts so sad and makes you feel this profoundly. You understand, through the skill of Cage's performance, just how much he loved his pig and his life up to that point. Far from being a joke, this is a film of redemption and trying to carry on when you are drowning in pain.

And this film really does belong to Cage. He is incredible, moving, brilliant and perfect in the role. In this micro-budget film (so small that they couldn't afford a trained pig or do additional takes, meaning every shot was either the first or second one filmed,) he absolutely fills the screen with brilliance.

For me, the only reason it didn't get 5 stars was because sadly, there was some excess material which made the film that little bit too long, even at just under 90 minutes. There were also a couple of scenes that did go on that little too long, but this are minor minor quibbles.

This film is amazing, I loved it and I hope there are plenty more performances like this that we are to be treated to from Cage.