BEST MOVIES OF 2021 (Lists)

[Chris Knipp]

As you see my NYFF coverage was incomplete last year and I haven't caught up on this one. 14 years on Metacritic isn't bad. Almodovar or Campion is an unfair comparison.

[Chris Knipp]

PIG (Michael Sarnoski 2021)

I caught up on this highly praised film of last year today on Amazon, perhaps because I was thinking of seeing Andrea Arnold's COW to catch up on this year's most admired). It's a slow, distinctive little film shot in 20 days, set Oregon about a reclusive truffle hunter (Nicolas Cage) whose companion and truffle-hunting tool has been kidnapped. Some think its rich in many-layered meanings (Mike D'Angelo, for instance), others think it's shallow and pseudo-profound (Richard Brody). All agree it's one of Cage's best performances, and an impressively tamped-down one. It's No. 14 on IndieWire's 50 Best Movies of 2021 list and 82% Metacritic rating. A unique little movie that may be especially thought-provoking for those interested in the mystique surrounding food and trendy restaurants - if you've sat through a lot of Nicolas Cage performances and want to see him do something that shows what he's really capable of.