Review: Piggy (2012)
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After the violent death of his brother on the streets of London, Joe is visited by Piggy, a man who shows Joe that vengeance is the key to his recovery.
Piggy begins as a stylish drama with much to say about the nature of violence in modern society. The early scenes set up a moody atmosphere and a strong sense of menace. Once introduced, Paul Anderson as the titular character presents a genuinely threatening edge to the proceedings and the scenes featuring Piggy and Joe as they execute their task are chilling.
The violence, although generally off screen, is strong and not for the faint-hearted. To justify this, the film has to present a robust moral code but ultimately fails. Despite strong performances it loses its focus and degenerates into nothing more than gratuitously violent revenge thriller that leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. The disappointing conclusion spoils the early promise and you are left feeling that this is a missed opportunity.
Piggy dares to tread the same path as the likes of Fight Club and Dead Man’s Shoes, but they are very large shoes to fill and it pales in comparison.
Best performance: Paul Anderson as Piggy, he steals every scene he is in.
Worst sound effect: The sound of a repeated stamping on a man’s head leaves little to the imagination despite it happening off screen.
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