An ex-con (Nicolas Cage), running from his past and volatile
temper while remaining well liked in the community, takes on a 14 year old boy
to his tree removal crew and finds himself becoming his protector from an
abusive, alcoholic father (Gary Poulter) and other predatory trash who inhabit
their impoverished Southern locality. Following a series of crummy big budget
comedies and the misguided, attempted recoil Prince Avalanche, Joe
(adapted from Joe Brown’s book by Gary Hawkins) is David Gordon Green’s successful
return to the kind of rurally set indies on which he built his name. In
addition to reasserting Green’s abilities, it also serves as evidence that Cage
is still capable of contributing a commanding lead performance. The rest of the
film is wonderfully and knowingly flavored, with Sheridan excellent as the
determined, wide-eyed youth and Poulter, Ronnie Gene Blevins, and the rest of the
ensemble particularly well cast.
*** 1/2 out of ****
