Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

mchertov-68655 It was 20 years ago that Nicholas Cage won an Oscar for Leaving Los Vegas. Since then, Nicholas Cage's career has been so volatile we cinephiles can hardly talk about it. Through the highs and lows of his career (and there have been many), Cage always leaves us wanting the high quality acting we know he has. And then he have Joe...Joe is about a character named Joe (Cage), a man who lives a simple life with his dog and his demons. He befriends Gary (Tye Sheridan), a young boy with just as much anger in him as Joe. While everything is there for a high quality film (domestic abuse, alcoholism, and a history of violence mixed with love, friendship, and fatherhood) the movie just doesn't deliver. The length and the constant use of slow- motion to show the feelings and mindset of the characters becomes repetitive and boring. The climax itself seems very out of place and forced. The majority of the characters are shallow, not helped by the shallow writing. And even with all this, there stands Nicholas Cage. If there is one reason for why this movie should be watched, it to see Nicholas Cage breaking out of the filth that his career has become. He is a terrific actor, which he reveals through his raw and gritty portrayal of Joe. Joe is a character torn by his desire to live his life, and the violence that he holds inside of him. Cage holds that rigid exterior for the entire movie, making the slight hints of vulnerability all the more heartbreaking. Even more heartbreaking is the way Cage takes Joe from a seemingly calm state to savage one. Nicholas Cage has a long road ahead of him. But Joe is definitely a start.

Tss5078 In this remake of a 1970 film by the same name, Nicholas Cage plays Joe, an ex-con and unlikely hero to a fifteen year old boy. The story is called Joe, and you'll figure out why by the end, but to be honest, I saw this film more as a coming of age story, with the majority of the focus on Gary (Tye Sheridan). Gary's family is difficult to say the least, both his parents are drug addicts, and it's up to him to earn a living to support his sister. One day while out in the woods, he comes across Joe, a man who owns a lumber company and persuades him to give him a job. Gary is a hard worker who comes to see his boss as more of a father figure than his own father, and when things get bad, he's turns to Joe for help. Joe is no saint though, as he has his own criminal past and is reluctant to get involved. This is one of these really dark, slow moving dramas, where everything may or may not be important to the story. The real action is spaced out, but when something happens, the intensity is off the charts. This film is very similar to, Winter's Bone, which also had a young lead trying to save her siblings. While Tye Sheridan is not Jennifer Lawrence, his more quiet demeanor makes him more likable in the eyes of the viewer. Sheridan is a kid who came out of nowhere to star in the independent film, Mud, and since then has become known for making these super dark, intense films, where he plays a quiet, reserved character that one can't help but root for. Nicholas Cage is equally as good in a role that is more dramatic than most of things he's done lately. That being said, Cage still has it and together with Sheridan make for one of the most interesting and unique films I've seen all year. The story and even the trailer seem to be a little dull, most people will look at this film and see it as too slow and dramatic, and at first, I thought so too, but as the film progresses it just gets better and better, ascending to the level of a must see movie.

Michael Radny Joe depicts some of the impacts of child abuse in a somewhat amusing (but serious) manner. However, it feels as if it is constantly trying to strive for its climax, making it quite boring until things actually become interesting. But when things kick off, they kick off, and the remaining of the second half of the film is quite good. Nicholas Cage surprisingly does a fantastic job in this film, despite his resume, and does a tough job to keep this film floating on a sinking ship. If you can battle through the first hour or so you will find light at the end of the tunnel. However, you can't excuse what could have been a much better opening. You feel as if the somber first act is being too pretentious in its goals, but it pays off somewhat in its closing act.

g-bodyl From what I have been hearing, Joe is a return to form by Nic Cage. I haven't seen many of his recent movies outside of the Ghost Rider series Knowing, and Drive Angry so I am inclined to agree. This film is a fantastic, gritty thriller about a kid finding the father he never had. This film is the 2014 version of Mud, ironically both starring rising newcomer Tye Sheridan. This film is very violent and has an explosive ending, but it is also a realistic portrayal of relationships. Also I must add a beware note to animal lovers because there is a good amount of "abuse" in this drama. David Gordon Green's film is about an ex-con named Joe who runs a company regarding the poisoning of trees. When he meets a 15-year-old kid named Gary, he finds a chance for redemption when he has a chance to save him from his abusive father. This is definitely Nicolas Cage's best film in years. He returns to form and has no crazy haircut or wild personality to speak of this time around. Tye Sheridan is one of the best newcomers these days and just like he did in Mud, he does a fine job portraying a troubled Southern kid. Overall, Joe is a very good film and finally a film from the 2010's worth crediting Nic Cage for. Granted, I have not seen those films to date but I don't hear the greatest things. This film is a realistic, gritty drama about relationships and trying to make life right. The director, Green certainly has a flair for making indie films that impact our everyday lives. Another fabulous film here in the vein of Mud. My Grade: A