Nicolas Cage is one of the finest actors working today. There we said it and you know what? We entirely believe it. Yes, on occasion he can act like he is more mad than a box of spiders in his personal life, some of his big screen performances have been unquestionably brilliant and maybe, just maybe, madness does in fact make the artist. It most certainly seems to have worked for Cage. While he is responsible for some of the more ridiculous projects to make it to the big screen, you really cannot deny how amazing his performance is in films like Raising Arizona, Wild at Heart, Lord of War and the excellent Bad Lieutenant. When Cage cares about the project and when the project is small enough to work on the character, there is no one better. He will own the screen and we absolutely stand over that.
Joe seems to be some kind of a perfect storm and one that seems to have been difficult to get off the ground. An independent cinema release, the film features a diverse range of talent we certainly wouldn’t have put together. Starring Nic, the film is directed by David Goron Green, a man who has made his fortune to this point off the back of films like Pineapple Express and Your Highness, so this is most certainly a change in direction and a return to old form. Opposite Cage is a huge talent in the making, the brilliant Tye Sheridan who you may remember from the brilliant Mud starring Matthew McConaughey. However, Green has done something really interesting here, featuring an ordinary man suffering from alcoholism and who was living on the streets. Tragically, Gary Poulter who plays Tye’s father in the film died before the release of Joe. It’s genuinely heartbreaking to know he will not know the praise for his performance.
Joe tells the story of an ex-con who barely makes a living but he is a trusted employer, someone who is looked up to in the local community and who certainly tries to do the right thing. Joe lives a fairly monotonous life, getting up for work, visiting the local prostitutes and getting himself drunk. However, when young Gary comes his way and is employed on his staff, Joe needs to make a decision whether he will ignore what’s happening to the young teenager or stand up for him.
Gary lives a difficult life. Being the sole earner in his family, his father spends most of his time drunk or getting himself into trouble while his sister has been so badly abused, she no longer speaks. Gary works hard and Joe soon becomes aware of how difficult it is for him; Gary’s father beats him in front of his truck and takes everything he has earned for that day. Joe is about to get involved and decides against it but when young Gary helps him find his dog, the pair bond while out on the road and he feels a need to protect him.
In terms of the plot, the film is incredibly simplistic – a bad man needs to make things right. The only thing that gets in Joe’s way is his inability to control his bad temper which gets the better of him occasionally. For the most part, these are the most exciting moments in the film, besides this everything can move a little slowly but if you can overlook that, you are in for a treat.
Cage is simply brilliant in his role, encompassing all aspects of a disturbed and tortured character, someone who is completely alone but craves companionship and love. Obviously, he is not completely good but that only makes him more human to us; he has light and shade but often, the light completely shines through. Tye Sheridan is certainly one to watch, a teenager who is far beyond his years in terms of understanding film and acting, where the camera moves, reactions and emotions. He will win an Oscar someday if he continues on this path.
If we had one complaint about Joe it would be that occasionally it can seem a lot longer than its running time but that is neither here nor there, this is character acting at its best and it is most certainly Nicolas Cage at his best. Please do seek it out.
