ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN | PIG
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 16/07/2021
This week’s newsletter has some thoughts on a couple of films being released in cinemas this weekend. The first one is ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN which I had a chance to watch at the Tribeca Festival and the second one is PIG. A film that reminds us that Nicolas Cage has always been a special talent. There’s also a playlist of five songs worth checking out.
ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN
ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN, directed by Morgan Neville, digs and nudges through hours of archival video and new interviews with the late chef's friends and family. And it tries to piece together some type of reason for his subject's demise, which stunned the world in June of 2018.
Anthony Bourdain begins his climb to fame in 1999, after securing a deal to publish a book, Kitchen Confidential, about his experiences in the restaurant industry which became a New York Times bestseller and catapulted him into show business. Honestly, I was never a huge fan of his shows. Bourdain seemed like a genuinely great guy and I have watched some episodes of NO RESERVATIONS and PARTS UNKNOWN. But I never got into them. However, I really enjoyed this film. Well, at least the first two acts of it. That is when ROADRUNNER captures the essence and style of Bourdain's character as shown on his many television series perfectly.
In the last half-hour though, the film takes a dark turn and is filled with sensationalism nonsense, and blame game. And in my opinion, It focused too much on the tumultuous and widely documented romance with actress/filmmaker Asia Argento. I understand that is difficult to accept the suicide of a well-known figure. Especially when it happens at the peak of his celebrity and public presence. But Neville could have ended this film in a better way.
Overall, ROADRUNNER gives an extremely honest image of a bright, charismatic man who traveled the world but never quite figured out where he belonged.
PIG
A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
I wasn't expecting much from this movie, besides another incredible performance from Nikolas Cage. However, PIG is a very interesting critique/satire of the pretensions driving modern restaurant culture. Cage plays Rob, a man with lethargic walking, graying hair, and beard, and homeless clothes that suggest he has entirely surrendered to hopelessness and melancholy. But when Rob speaks, he does so with a delicacy that contrasts sharply with his rough persona. And that is because he was once a very well-known chef.
PIG seems to be a revenge film about the futility of vengeance. But it is more about healing the burdens of the soul. It is intense, and Cage delivers - he absolutely carries this film. And possibly no one could bring such a bizarre idea to life like Nicolas Cage.
Is the film’s premise slightly ridiculous? Certainly, but it is definitely worth watching.
Top 5 songs
These were the 5 songs on my heavy rotation this week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.
1 - girlfriends - Tattoo
2 - PALAYE ROYALE - No Love In LA
3 - Sophie Powers feat. Kellin Quinn - 1 thing
4 - carolesdaughter - please put me in a medically induced coma
5 - The Maine - High Forever