20s Movie Review - Pig

Director: Michael Sarnoski
Genre: Drama/ Mystery
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 13: A FILM FROM 2021
 
Description: A truffle hunter (Nicolas Cage) who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness must return to his part in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.

Review: Nicolas Cage is either very over the top or really subdued. For “Pig” it’s the latter. It’s a fairly quiet film with a meandering style. Cage plays Rob, a man who was once the best chef in town, but now lives a reclusive life in the woods of Oregon. There he lives, along with his pig, who helps him search and root for truffles. But then his quiet life gets disturbed and his pig gets stolen. Rob has to go back to the city and find her.

In core the film is about learning to care about something and not fall prey to hypocrisy. I absolutely loved this film. It’s a slow film, no action, just a man looking for his beloved pig. And Nicolas Cage is wonderful. His rage is now very contained and it works perfectly for “Pig”.

Rating: 4/ 5

TV Review: "Fargo" Season 2

Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime

Year: 2015

Number of episodes: 10

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Bookime Woodbine, Zahn McClare, Cristin Milioti, Jean Smart, Rachel Keller, Brad Garrett, Jeffrey Donovan, Kieran Culkin, Adam Arkin, Nick Offerman

Description: Various chronicles of deception, intrigue and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. Yet all of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota

Review: After a great first season of“Fargo”, a second season had to happen. There is a new storyline, new characters, but you can still see the Coen Brother’s touch.

This season is set in the late ‘70s, where cop Lou Solverson (Molly’s - from season 1 - dad in his younger years) tracks down a family who is involved in a very complex conspiracy. The married couple Ed and Peggy Blumquist, get themselves into a series of crimes and blunders. Like season one, it’s about the everyday man who accidentally walks the criminal path.

The perspective changes during the series. There is not one leading character and we get to know something about every character of importance.

Patrick Wilson plays Lou Solverson, the younger version of the character Keith Carradine played in season one. Besides dealing with a difficult case, he is also worrying over his wife who has cancer. Staying professional in his job and also preparing for the possibility he might be a single dad soon. Wilson is very strong is his role. Ted Danson plays his father in law and also the sheriff. His character is calm and soothing, yet a very believable sheriff. Kirsten Dunst is probably the strongest performer in this season. We see her as Peggy Blumquist, a role we’ve never seen her in before. She really shines.

Season 2 was good, but it never lives up to season 1. The storylines are less interesting and there aren’t any characters that are as memorable as for example Lorne Malvo, Lester Nygaard and Molly Solverson from season 1. Dunst character comes close and so do Mike Milligan and Indian Hanzee, but season 1 of “Fargo” was way better.