Films

Pig – 5 Stars

A surprisingly calm turn from Nic Cage anchors this affecting drama of one man and his truffl e pig.

ROB (Nicolas Cage) is a truffle hunter in a Oregonian forested area. Rob is reclusive, and in fact only keeps his truffle pig as company.

His only visitor is Amir (Alex Wolff ), a young truffl e dealer who is trying to make a name for himself in the industry and break out of his father, Darius’ (Adam Arkin) shadow. Things go wrong however when Rob is attacked in his hut one night, and his pig is stolen.

Enlisting the help of Amir, he heads into the city on the trail of his lost pig. In the process, this former famed and lauded chef has to confront the grief of his past, and the grief of those around him.

Directed by Michael Sarnoski, who was also part of the writing team, PIG is a beautiful surprise of a fi lm.

A lot of the DNA of this, particularly the trailer, has a sort of lower budget John Wick feel to it–you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a revenge thriller, with a pig the loss rather than a dog or a wife. But that isn’t what this fi lm is at all.

While Rob searches for his lost pig, and there is a brief spurt of violence when the pig is taken, for the most part this is a beautiful, entrancing and introspective fi lm.

Cage turns in a truly phenomenal performance. He is weary, emotional, kind, engaging and angry, all at once. Physically, his costuming is dirty, ragged and blood covered, but his movements are so slow and deliberate, and his emotionality so placid and thoughtful, that the whole performance feels off -kilter, transformative and engaging.

He’s matched by a somewhat manic, self-conscious performance from Wolff as a young man so insecure in himself, and with such a desperate need to prove himself.

The fact that almost every character here is dealing with grief in some way, shape or form–whether it’s the death of a loved one, the long hospitalisation of a parent, the loss of a pig or the fading of a dream–gives the fi lm, and the acting talent, a lot to work with from an emotional landscape perspective, and it turns the narrative of this fi lm into something more important and ethereal.

Visually, the fi lm is stunningly shot. The cinematography, on such a low budget, is a triumph, and creates mystical worlds out of dense forests and underground hotels alike. It’s a dark fi lm, but the mood never overtakes the story.

In the end, PIG is a triumph not in spite of the disparate and challenging elements that embody it’s make up, but because of it.

This fi lm probably wouldn’t work as well if it wasn’t made with such a low budget, and if it didn’t have Nicolas Cage in it, and all the preconceptions that his presence forms in viewers before they watch the fi lm.

Nevertheless, Sarnoski has created a truly enjoyable and uplifting piece, that deserves to be seen by the widest possible audience.

Reviews by Jacob Richardson Creative Director | Film Focus www.filmfocusau.com

Ride The Eagle – 3 Stars

A meditative comedy, with a huge but largely misspent cast, nevertheless offers an entertaining reprieve from the day-to-day.

LEIF (Jake Johnson) is a going-nowhere musician, playing bongos in a band composed of people 20 years younger than him, and living in a small studio cabin set up on another man’s land.

When his mother, Honey (Susan Sarandon), dies, Leif discovers that she has left him the cabin they used to live in; but conditionally. To get the cabin, Leif has to complete a list of tasks she has set out for him.

Travelling to the cabin, he has to set about learning the lessons his mother never got the chance to teach him, from rekindling old romances, to learning to ‘be the predator’ and focus on his own love of music.

Jake Johnson picks really interesting fi lms when he isn’t swanning around as mainstream comedic sidekicks. Some of his work in lower budget fl icks is tremendous, and here too we get to see a softer, more nuanced and dramatic performance from the man.

That being said, the fi lm is still very funny, and Johnson’s work stands out as the most comically mature and engaging by far. Some of the other characters and actors don’t fare quite as well.

While Sarandon is quite touching in her role, JK Simmons is saddled with some truly cringeworthy dialogue disguised as humor but too crass when compared with the rest of the piece.

Intriguingly, the structure of the fi lm lends itself to a presumably very covid-safe production. All of these characters largely only interact via video, over phones or from afar without. Most of the shots are oneshots, with Sarandon and D’Arcy Carden in particular very evidently not working on the same sets as Johnson.

Simmons plays a longer role throughout the piece, but with early appearances shrouded and likely a stunt-double, it seems more like Johnson’s show throughout. And honestly that’s not a bad thing.

Visually, Ride The Eagle is set in some stunning wilderness, and the big panoramas are played to great eff ect. So too are some of the little moments, like the fi shing scene where Leif tries to prove his manliness by catching a fi sh with his bare hands.

It’s nothing new or shocking, but it certainly provides a welcome, almost nonchalant sort of wild, back to the Earth mentality to the piece that complements the overarching narrative conclusion.

Ride The Eagle, as a fi lm, under-utilises some of its name brand talent, but fundamentally hits on a winner with a calm, endearing story about loss, regret and enjoying the simple moments in life.

Reviews by Jacob Richardson Creative Director | Film Focus www.filmfocusau.com

COPPER HANDI

True taste of subcontinent

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PARRAMATTAPARRAMATTA

INDIAN AND PAKISTANI AUTHENTIC CUISINE.

Chicken and Goat Biryani, Beef and Goat Nihari, Butter Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh, Beef Vindaloo, Fish Curry, Bihari Kebab, Lamb Cutlet, Tandoori Chicken, Gajar Ka Halwa, Doodh Dulari are the signature dishes together with Pratha Wrap, Vegetarian/ Vegan wrap and Tandoori Wrap, Samosa Chat, Keema Naan, Chick pea Masala, Paneer Handi, Mango Lassi and much more. Online ordering and delivery should be with Uber, Menulog, Deliveroo and DoorDash we directly can’t deliver and can’t take online orders through our websit

With great prices and sumptuous Indian and Pakistani dishes, we provide you the comfort of relishing the dishes at your home with the option of online order that includes delivery and pick up. When the order is placed, you would receive a text confirmation confirming your delivery. To view all the dishes in our menu, please click on the order online button and grab our offers.

On Saturday-with live Halwa puri Dam ka Keema and Tandoori Laccha Pratha, we cater for all occasions.

5/272 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150, Australia +61 2 9633 1000 www.copperhandi.com.au

Armani Gallery brings you the rich and luxurious culture of the Middle East. Owner Salim Kreich personally sources Armani's merchandise on his regular overseas travels. The inspiration to open a gallery was sparked by the lack of authentic Middle Eastern homewares and furniture available locally. We have Furniture, Décor, Coffee and Tea Sets, Lighting, Perfumes, Jewellery, Arabesque Glassware and Ceramics, Dead Sea Minerals Skin Care and many more.

Our locations are;

Bankstown – Shop 218 Bankstown Central Tel. 02 9709 2305 Parramatta – Shop 9, 1-9 Palmer Street Tel. 02 9683 1246 Warehouse & Wholesale – 215 Woodville Road, Villawood- 0424 006 006

www.armanigallery.com.au