Joe
Joe is a film that explores the journey of masculinity, painted in the bleak and brutal surroundings of a small southern American town. This unsettling drama packs a honest and observant punch.
gripping mix of friendship, violence and redemption
Joe is adapted from Larry Brown's novel and is a gripping mix of friendship, violence and redemption. Joe is an ex-convict and the unlikeliest of role-models. He employs a 15-year-old teenager named Gary. A hard working soul, but the boy, through no fault of his own, brings trouble to Joe's door. Joe is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin in helping the boy.
The theme flowing through this unsettling violent drama is a sense of maturity and finding one's self. It's rich in dialogue and harsh in it's rural surroundings. The momentum of the film can be a mediocre ride at times, which can dampen the films suspense— but it's narrative angle helps keeps you engaged.
he's a good man with a good spirit
Sporting a long grizzled beard with a hint of grey, Cage delivers a long overdue performance. We know he can deliver these rugged roles, they're just too spread out. Cage really does glisten in Joe. His raw energy with this character helps build momentum back up during the times when the film drops off in pace.
performances of authenticity
Tye Sheridan, who plays Gary Jones, Joe's newest addition, is a hard working, polite teenager who is merely looking for an honest days work. That cannot be said for Gary's father Wade (Gary Poulter), an old drunk who'd prefer to smack his son around and steal his cash, than go out and earn it himself.
Both Poulter and Sheridan shine together and deliver performances of authenticity. Sheridan is developing into one of the best young talents around. His performance in lasts years Mud alongside Matthew McConaughey, was one of the years best on-screen performances from a young actor. He never seems to be phased by who he's alongside or the depth of the material he's working with. Sheridan is someone we'll be hearing about for a long time.
a director who beleives in honesty
Director, David Gordan Green (Prince Avalanche, Pineapple Express, Undertow) has recently returned to his independent roots. Last year he released the very subtle yet hugely enjoyable Prince Avalanche. Green is becoming a director who believes in honesty. Green has a way of engaging us into numerous character focuses that always come together to form tightly knit narratives.
It's refreshing to see Green return to the serious, character driven material. He wasted his time on films like Your Highness, The Sitter and Pineapple Express. He has an organic storytelling manner that fits these rural stylistic films perfectly. He can intertwine sudden doses of violence with cynical humour effortlessly within a few moments of each other.
