Joe

There was a time when actor Nicolas Cage, delivered some really great characters on screen. Arizona Junior, Wild At Heart, Leaving Las Vegas, just a few classic motion pictures that stands just as strong today, as they did back in the good old days. He continued making some interesting roles in Matchstick Men and The Weather Man, but then something happened. He did not get any interesting films to work on ( except from Knowing and Kick-Ass ), and started making low budget action movies. He seemed to continue this path, you might even remember Season Of The Witch ? For some time i did not expect to see him back in an independent film, for a long time. But then, we got a surprise. Joe, a new independent film, directed by David Gordon Green ( who also directed Pineapple Express and Prince Avalanche ), seemed to be a comeback to a genre we wanted to see Cage in again. Is Joe a proof that Cage is back for real this time, or is it Another one who will go straight to dvd and become forgotten ?

Joe Ransom ( Nicolas Cage ) is an ex-con, trying to stay clean, helping people find a job in a forest, cutting down trees. Joe lives alone, and try to keep on going with his daily procedures. One day, while Joe explain todays work in the forest, a young boy named Gary shows up. He needs a job, and even if he is very young, Joe agree to hire him. Gary is very happy, and try and tell his drunk father Wade ( Gary Poulter ), but he care more about drinking alcohol, than in his own son. One day, while Joe is helping some friends butchering a deer, someone shoot him outside in his shoulder. Next day, without letting anyone know at work, Joe continue give jobs in the forest. Gary´s father Wade also get a job, but he is causing problems, and Joe have to fire him. Angry at the situation, Wade beat his son really hard, and take his money. Joe feel sorry for Gary, but try and stay out of family issues. Gary is beginning to see Joe as a father figure, since his own father don´t care about him. But he does not know about Joe´s past. To make sure Gary stays out of Joe´s problems, Joe try to solve them, even how hard it may be.
 
I am going to be honest. Nicolas Cage have not been this good since Matchstick Men, and that was in 2003. We are talking 11 years between these films, so the ride through these years have been really bumpy. Not every single motion picture have been bad with Cage, but many of them felt very predictable, and quite dull. But with Joe, i feel that Cage proves again, after so many years, that he can be a really great actor, with the right material. One of the biggest reasons why i love Joe, is because of the powerful performances from almost all the actors. Especially Ty Sheridan, he is perfect as the very lost and sad young boy Gary. You can tell he tried to show us how life is shit, when you don´t almost have any family members left, and no one cares about you. Gary Poulter who plays Garys drunken father, actually died before Joe was screened. He was a homeless man in real life, so playing a drunk father who don´t care was the best choice for this character. I have to say that Gary Poulter should have been Oscar nominated for his role, he is simply fantastic. Director David Gordon Green did a smaller indepent film called Prince Avalanche a few years ago. I really enjoyed that one, with Paul Rudd in one of his best films so far. With Joe, David tries to dig deeper into human emotions, and give a very honest portrait about poverty in small american cities. There are many characters here that are stuck in the same pattern, and don´t see any way out of their misery. Joe is a very important motion picture, for many reasons. One of the most important details is that Joe feels realistic, that this could be about anyone who lives a life in emptyness. I found out Sweden will not show Joe in cinemas, and i think that is terrible. A powerful motion picture like Joe should be seen on a big screen. Nicolas Cage is back on top again, i did not expect to see that at this point of his career. Hopefully he can stay on this path, because Joe could become a classic.

Rating: DDDD