Joe: Movie Review
David Gordon Green is one of the most interesting filmmakers working today. He can go from directing intelligent dramas like “Undertow” and “Snow Angeles” to stoner comedies like “Pineapple Express” and “Your Highness” and then back to drama with his latest offerings “Prince Avalanche” and this week’s release “Joe”. Sure there are many directors that can do comedy and drama, but the style between both genres of his films are so far apart that it’s hard to believe they are were helmed by the same person. If you watch 2011′s “The Sitter” with Jonah Hill and then you watch “Joe”, you would too find it hard to fathom that they were both made by the same guy. This is actually a compliment to Green, because he has proven to be a very eclectic filmmaker.
Nicolas Cage has been in more stinkers this past decade than quality films. Aside from a supporting role in the awesome 2010 flick “Kick-Ass”, I would say 2005′s “Lord of War” was Cage’s last great film. Although I wouldn’t call “Joe” a great movie, I would say that Cage gives one of the best performances of not only the past decade, but probably of his whole career. He is fantastic a man with a checkered past who develops a friendship with a homeless 15-year-old named Gary (Tye Sheridan). Joe puts Gary on his work crew to help him earn some money. Unfortunately, Gary’s alcoholic and abusive father Wade (Gary Poulter) wants his son’s wages for his drinking.
As great as Cage is here and so is Sheridan, but the stand out is Poulter and Gary’s crazy father, who happened to be homeless when Green gave him the part of Wade. To make the performance even more haunting, Poulter died on the streets of Austin, Texas a few months after filming was completed.
The problem with “Joe” is that is just moves so slow and no matter how great everyone is in it, at times I just wanted it to be over already. There is a lot to like, but I just wish it was a bit shorter. Regardless, I hope Cage can continue getting challenging roles like this one. He deserves it.
By: Marc Ferman