One of 21 Best Films Of 2014 We’ve Already Seen, things have been pretty quiet around “Joe” even after a good festival run last year. But that’s about to change; the film is rolling out overseas and the first trailer is here, and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen from either director David Gordon Green or star Nicolas Cage in a long, long time.
Marking a shift to the serious for both the filmmaker and his lead actor, “Joe” is based on the novel by Larry Brown, and tells the story of the unlikely bond between an ex-con (Cage) and a 15-year-old (Tye Sheridan) from a broken home, with both of them looking for a better life in a southern town. And the result is a mix of tones that works, with our review from the Venice Film Festival declaring that, “while the film flirts with a number of genres genres—melodrama, comedy, coming-of-age—it ultimately lands closest to being Green’s first western by the time it reaches its conclusion.” And as for Cage? “He goes easy on the high volume and bug-eyes that have been something of a crutch of late…and makes Joe a thoroughly decent man who’s capable of some terrible things.”
Roadside Attractions will release the film in the U.S., but there’s no release date just yet. Check out the international trailer below.