Sharp acting and strong lessons in Joe

Nicolas Cage makes a lot of bad movies. He is parodied on SNL for picking up any action script he is handed, so it can be easy to forget that he can be a great actor when he does something different (see his Oscar-nominated role in Adaptation and Oscar-winning Leaving Las Vegas). Joe is a gritty, raw film that probably won’t get a lot of buzz, but it is a very emotional film featuring some wonderful work by Cage and Tye Sheridan.

Sheridan is a young actor, who’s first major role came in Mud, the “other” film starring Matthew McConaughey last year. Though obviously McConaughey got more attention for Dallas Buyer’s Club and The Wolf of Wall Street, Mud was spectacular and was critically acclaimed, and definitely worth watching, and Sheridan was great in that as well as in Joe. He plays the son of an abusive alcoholic. As his father descends into his sickness and becomes more violent, Sheridan’s character grows up, thanks in large part to Joe’s (Cage’s) guidance. Joe is an average guy with a good heart for helping others, but is prone to violence as well, especially to perceived injustices, which gets him in frequent trouble with the law. It all comes to a head when the boy’s father commits a reprehensible act, and Joe steps in to take care of the situation.

This movie is a lesson both in the film and outside. The father was played by Gary Poulter, a real-life homeless man the filmmakers met in Austin, who struggled with alcoholism but dreamed of acting when he was young. Shortly after making the film, he was found dead in a homeless encampment in Austin, drowned in a small puddle of water where he had passed out from either drinking or a seizure. He had been cast in the film because the director wanted a real feel to the character. He got it.

This is a great film, that like a lot of limited-release indie films probably won’t get a lot of attention. But if you can find a small local chain that is playing it, you’ll enjoy it.