MIFF DIARY 3 - JOE

Night number 3 for me at the Melbourne International Film Festival proved to be a little more colourful than the previous nights. Nothing out of the ordinary actually happened but observing other people sure did cured the pre-film boredom. I arrived a little early and passed the time drinking dish water (technically you could call it coffee). Film festival crowds always amuse me. So many pretentious and wanky types. Eavesdropping on some of their conversations always cracks me up. Their conversations are usually about what documentaries they've seen and tonight I overheard two people complaining about Nicholas Cage being in a MIFF film and that his presence was a sell out. Um... err, then why were they attending a Nicholas Cage film then?

Once inside the cinema my amusement was sustained. There must have been something wrong with the step beside my seat because five people tripped up it. After watching three people stumble I looked over, assuming it was slippery or something... but nope (just a step).  And then from out of nowhere came the smell of mandarines. Across the isle from me was a man with an entire bag of them. The prick could have shared some... and then a couple sit beside me. They were the couple from hell. The guy had an American accent and the only reason I mention this fact is on the off-chance he happens to read this blog (mate, you're a douche!). While the pre-film advertisements were playing they were talking amongst themselves (loud enough to have been addressing the whole cinema). The guy says "so. lets see what this film festival thing is all about". So clearly they were newbies to the whole thing, which was cool. And then the film began and they kept talking... and talking...... and talking. Seriously, they would not shut up. It took all of my might to ignore them when my instinct was more along the lines of belting the shit out of them. Luckily for me they up and left when there was a particularly violent moment in the film. Awww, the poor darlings couldn't hack it. And then there was the film... yes, lets focus on the film.

JOE was my least anticipated film at the festival. It was the last one I chose on my schedule and it was more of a filler than anything else. It is a strange film to have on the festival line-up because it's not exactly new and it has already been released to DVD in the US. Nevertheless I had heard good things and so I was more than happy to give it a go. I am really glad I gave it the time. This is a remarkable film. It tells the story of Joe (derr) an ex-con who has a good heart and bad luck. Wanting only to stick to his work and fuck prostitutes he has an uncanny knack for attracting trouble. A 15 year old boy comes into his life, wanting work, and the two develop and unlikely bond. Trouble is chasing both of these two characters and the film explores their relationship in a powerful and compelling way. I sure as hell wasn't expecting JOE to be as confronting as it was and it doesn't muck around. My expectation was something more in line with the film MUD but what I got was closer to the darker dramas of SLING BLADE and WINTER'S BONE. Nicholas Cage certainly has become something of a Hollywood joke in recent years but people often forget that he's still a remarkable actor. He's still the guy who made LEAVING LAS VEGAS and WILD AT HEART and he can still deliver the goods. With his excellent performance in FROZEN GROUND recently, he has managed two amazing films back to back. JOE is the best thing he's done in years. Director David Gordon Green has captured the Southern American poverty-life skilfully. All of the characters feel as though they could be locals, plucked from the streets and plonked into the film. in fact the director is known to do that in his films. The script is wonderful too with all of the key characters really well explored. Tye Sheridan is stunning as the 15 year old kid with a world full of burden on his shoulders (coincidentally he also starred in MUD) and possibly the most incredible performance of the film belongs to Gary Poulter who plays the boy's drunken and abusive father. His story is heartbreaking. Having never acted before in his life, he was discovered homeless on the streets of Austin and cast in the movie. His performance is award worthy and tragically he later died on the same streets he was discovered, only weeks after the film wrapped. There is something beautiful knowing that his one brush with fame was something as powerful and mesmerising as JOE. It's a brilliant film that I cannot wait to see again. 

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