Pig (2011)
A man wakes up alone in the middle of the desert with a black hood on his head and his hands tied behind his back. At death's door, he is discovered by a woman living alone in the desert and is nursed back to health. Upon regaining consciousness, the man realizes he has amnesia, and has no idea who he is. His only clue, a piece of paper in his pocket with the name "Manny Elder" on it, sends him on a journey to Los Angeles to discover his past. But things and people are not what they seem and clues lead to something bigger and more unusual than the man could have ever imagined.
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Warning: I loved Vanilla Sky, so you can tell, assuming you've seen the movie, that I'm a fan of films which bend and challenge my mind and force me to explore ideas that can only be explored in literature, film, theatre and through use of illegal substances. "Pig" is such a film. The subject explored is of memory- what it means, how and if we need it, what would happen if we could control selected moments of it. Directed beautifully by Henry Barrial with attention to detail and character that is amazing, it is captivating from the first frame. The first few minutes of the film are without any dialogue and drew me inexorably into the story. It opens in a desert with a man, hands zip-tied behind his back, who is obviously in a state of complete confusion and terror. Rudolph Martin, a brilliant actor, managed to draw me in with so many fascinating nuances that it would take longer than seeing the movie to explain them all. All of the performances are incredibly compelling to the point where, even though the film is science-fiction ostensibly, it feels so grounded and authentic that I felt I was observing someone's life. The film deals with a huge subject but the story is told in such a concise, wonderfully lean way that I felt it on a very personal level. Mr. Barrial also wrote the script. I'm normally not a person who believes that a writer should direct his own material mainly because there's an objectivity lost in the process, but clearly, Barrial is able to separate his writer from his director as there is not a moment in the film that feels precious or self-absorbed. The movie's music fits perfectly with the tone of the film, underscoring the story in a spare and very effective manner. I could not recommend the film more highly. GO SEE IT!
I just saw this film at the St. Louis Film Festival and I was frankly blown away. Maybe I wasn't expecting much, though the premise intrigued me, but I'd never heard of the film before nor any of the actors. The postcard listed some awards and I'm a sci-fi buff, so I gave it a shot. First, let me say, that this film isn't for everyone. If your idea of a great sci-fi film is "Planet of the Apes" or "Star Trek," then this film might not be for you. It's just not that kind of sci-fi. It's "indie" sci-fi, or as the producer said, "lo-fi" sci-fi. There's no space ships or talking apes in this film. However, if you're a fan of Nolan's "Memento," then run, don't walk to see it. I don't want to get flagged for spoiling the surprise, but just suffice to say that the film is a mystery with a big reveal at the end that you'll never, never guess. Before that point, I was glued. You're given a series of subtle clues, and then some weird stuff starts happening with the time-line, and you're just trying to fit all the pieces together. Yes, this movie will make you think, and work a bit, but not as much as "Memento." It's a really smart film that makes you think at the end, about a lot of things, not just about what happened. Like any good sci-fi, you think about humankind's place in the world, and what we're doing to potentially mess things up. This film also makes you think about identity, what makes us who and what we are. I'm going to have to see it again when it comes out on video. Until then, if it comes to a city near you, SEE IT!
"Pig" is the best example that movies don't need a very high budget to be good. The movie shows the gripping and captivating story of a man with amnesia. From the beginning the viewer is wondering what happened to "the man", if he will find it out and most of all if he can handle it then. Up and downs and a lot of more and more questions are chasing the man through the story. Brilliant actors - in particular the lead actor Rudolf Martin, in full activity for his role. Hope, that more viewers will get the chance to see this fascinating movie. It is it worth.
Pig simply ticks all my film choice boxes. Intelligent, with insightful character performances, and a complex plot; this is a film to make you think. From the opening scenes you sense you will be on a very uncommon journey, it begins slowly and builds in intensity without ever losing sight of the tension needed to keep the audience engaged. The final conclusion is a dramatic tour-de-force. Deliberately ambiguous, you can make of it what you will, personally it was deeply emotionally moving. Writer/director Henry Barrial proves beyond any doubt that he is a master craftsman. With a beautifully judged, subtle and intelligent performance from actor Rudolf Martin in the leading role, there is nothing out of place, nothing that jars the senses. This film is, simply, one of the best and most rewarding features I have seen on a big screen in a very long time.