Seemingly incapable of turning down a script, Nicolas Cage has been a bit of a laughing stock of late, churning out bad movie after bad movie. Joe is a different change of pace for Cage though and possibly the first worthwhile script he’s read in years. Far removed from his B-movie action fare of recent times, he’s not the screaming goofball with the laughable hair this time round. He’s restrained, nuanced, not to mention unrecognisably rugged!
Joe is directed by David Gordon Green another man who is attempting to rebuild his reputation after a series of disappointing, stoner-comedies in Your Highness and The Sitter. Last year, Green gave us Prince Avalanche, a quiet, gloriously independent dramedy that echoed the tone of his early career. And Joe is of a similar ilk, although with a more sombre, straight-faced narrative. This dramatic character piece might just remind people of Green’s credentials and the fact that, as the trailer correctly points out, Cage is an Academy winning actor.
Joe will have a limited release across the UK, opening on the 25th July. You can watch the atmospheric trailer below:
Benrhayward 