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Hola amigos, buenas vibras para todos.
**Hello friends, good vibes to all.
Generally when I see "old" movies I don't usually bring them to this space for the respective review but yesterday I found this Nicolas Cage film and I wanted to see and confirm if it was still true that theory or people's thought that almost all of this actor's movies are really bad. I have to confess that he is not one of my favorite actors by far but to say that might be a bit of an exaggeration, in fact there might be a couple out there that don't make that list, The Rock and Contracara might be saved from the fate of being labeled as terrible Nicolas Cage movies.
But, are these films really hard to watch or is it that Cage is a bad actor? - I don't think he is a bad actor and the reason for that is coincidentally this film that I bring you today. It must be said that this title is from last year, hence why I call it "old" but for some reason I never got to see it until last night. It is a very well known plot, in fact it may resemble a couple of titles out there but it has something special, that not everything is what it seems. As the story progresses you discover things that will change your perspective and vision of what you've seen so far and it's as if you're starting to see a new movie. Not if it will be Cage's best but I didn't dislike this one at all, so without further ado, let's talk a little about this curious story...
We are going to start with Rob (Nicolas Cage), a man who has decided to leave his life in the past, everything he did and what he was to go live in a cabin in the middle of the forest. His life in that environment is of the most rudimentary and simple, he lives with very little because we understand that he does not need more but the thing is that he does not live alone, with him lives a truffle-tracking sow and who in turn is his faithful companion. So that we understand better, she is his pet and his only cable to earth as they say out there. She is an expert at finding truffles, she does it because she is Rob's livelihood, who in turn lives from selling them to the most famous restaurants in the city of Portland. She does all this thanks to a middleman, Amir (Alex Wolff) who is arguably her only contact with the civilization of the big cities.
But what is the trigger of the plot? - Well, someone kidnaps this sow, one fine night they raid the place where Rob lives and take her away. As expected, our hermit does not plan to sit idly by and immediately sets out in search of his faithful companion. It is at this point when the story opens up and we begin to see things that will be overthrowing ideas we had about this character and what was his life in the past. Soon we will be immersed in a criminal network, in an underworld that involves the great restaurants of the city and we will witness how Rob will do whatever it takes to recover what he is so eagerly looking for. But remember, not everything is what it seems...
This film is one of those that at first may seem very predictable, one thinks that he has seen many with this theme but the reality is that it is not so or at least it did not seem to me, as I said as the story develops are coming to light details that honestly I did not expect but that are not bad at all, on the contrary, to be things that we did not see coming we understand the real nature of the film. What is that nature? - According to my perception everything has to do with attachment, with that feeling that if we lose something in our lives that means a lot, the sense of living it may gradually disappear and yes friends, this film is a drama with a strange touch of what can be a thriller.
As soon as you start watching it you will be hooked because you want to know what is beyond, not everything can be as simple as disappearing and going to the middle of nowhere to live, we know that behind that there is a hidden story that is what we want to discover and eventually we do but not if we first go through a series of interesting and enlightening events. Personally I was not bored at any time, that for me is a good sign that a movie is not that good but at least it entertains. I'm not saying it's bad, for me it's not, maybe for some it's too slow or that when they discover everything they won't be satisfied but that's a matter of taste.
I really liked the way it was shot, it is a very simple film that does not seek to be ostentatious, its photography is very good, the ability to create tension when required is also something that is present and something very important, the dialogues and words, to this you have to pay attention because many times to understand what happens and the context of emotions and actions you have to know how to interpret each line of the characters. It is not a big deal but there are many things to think about behind this plot. It's a weird movie, I'm not going to lie to you, but deep down the message is very clear. I feel that the real hook of this film is a phrase I used a few paragraphs above: not everything is what it seems... and if you have already seen it you will understand what I'm talking about and for those who haven't, you will have to kill your curiosity by taking a look at it.
There are not many characters, the truth is that there are only three that stand out where Rob's is at the top of the pyramid. Nicolas Cage's performance convinced me, he is a character that has gone through certain things in his life and as a result of those experiences he is who he is, a guy that as long as he has no more losses in his life will do anything in his power to avoid another sad end. We don't see great acting skills either but it's very fair for the story. It's a different Cage, darker and more sober, not that we haven't seen roles like this from him before but personally I hadn't seen him act for a while, hence this movie didn't bother me so much.
The whole movie is a plot twist, that's how I understood it and it's not something I disliked at all, I feel that to pass the time it's more than fine. It's a basic plot but with its touches of wanting to be something more, we are always expecting that something important is going to happen and that makes us not get tired of it. I give it a 7/10 because we are not in front of a piece of cinema but neither in front of a piece of crap film, it could have been worse the truth. There is intrigue, there is that thirst for revenge that all of us who have pets are going to feel and there is a drama and sadness in the environment that gives a more sensitive touch to the story and is what makes us connect a little better with Rob. You can get it on Amazon Prime, it has a duration of an hour and a half, it is really short so it is very easy to watch. I leave as always the trailer so you can see more or less what it's about.
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Bueno mi gente por hoy es todo, espero que les haya gustado. ¡Un abrazo a todos, nos vemos en la próxima!
***Well my people that's all for today, I hope you liked it. ¡A hug to everyone, see you next time!
