Joe

Family affects us all, even, or especially, when it's not around. In David Gordon Green's latest movie, "Joe" it is around, but the worst distortion of what it should be. Gary (Tye Sheridan) is a 15 year old boy who knows on some level, that his family situation is wrong, but is stuck with it, if only, as he tells himself, to look out for his mother and sister. While there's certainly there's more to it than that, however badly you're raised, there's a feeling that your family is where you belong. Inertia and a sense of belonging have long kept people in terrible situations and Gary isn't wrong about his mother and sister needing protection, he just overestimates his own ability to protect them.

In the opening of the film we see Gary yelling at his father, Wade (Gary Poulter) that people in the town that they're in the process of leaving will "beat his ass" for what he's done this time. After having his fill of being berated, Wade punches Gary in the face before walking off to take a beating of his own, just as his son predicted. It's too much to hope that Wade learns anything from this, as they've obviously done all of it before. They simply move on and do it again, finding a condemned house to take over as their own. How the family will eat with no money coming in is not a matter of any importance for Wade. His only concern is finding a bottle of something. Gary however, sets off to look for work.

We're soon introduced to "Joe" (Nicolas Cage,) as he leads a crew of men out in the woods poisoning trees with "juice hatchets" (hatchets attached to backpacks tank full of tree poison) which will allow the tree cutters (who can only cut down dead trees) to come in later and cut them down. It's clear that Joe takes work very seriously. He leads his crew capably and those that don't mind working like working for him. When the crew is disturbed by the sighting of a cottonmouth snake, Joe appears and calmly picks it up, impressing them with his fearlessness. Gary happens upon this scene and asks Joe to show him the snake. After showing Gary the cottonmouth's fangs, Joe releases the snake telling his crew not to kill it, because "This snake's my friend." Gary asks Joe if he has any work for him and his father. Joe agrees telling him "A day's work for a day's pay." He tells Gary what they're doing, informing him that "these trees are weak." and that the ultimate goal in clearing them out is to make room to plant stronger ones. Gary is just happy to have the work and sets out to earn his pay. He gets some facts about Joe from the crew, including the fact that Joe likes to be looked in the eyes when you talk to him. Gary's work ethic impresses Joe enough to ask him back for the next day.

After work, Joe makes stops around town, notably at a local whore house, where he's greeted by an angry German Shepherd that Joe refers to as "an asshole" The dog ends up ruining his mood and he leaves, getting shot in the shoulder on the way to his truck by the disturbed Willie Russell (Ronnie Gene Blevins) who was recently slapped by Joe in a bar. Willie shoots with a rifle from quite a distance and speeds off to dispose of the rifle by throwing it from a bridge into the water below. At the bridge, Willie encounters Gary who has informed his father (who is too drunk to stand) of the job he got them. Gary asks Willie for a ride, which he initially agrees to give them. However, Willie soon launches into delusional bragging, and vague threats. He's surprised that rather than intimidate young Gary, he just makes him mad. With little effort, Gary gives Willie a beating and leaves him there to nurse the new slight.

Gary reports to work with his father in tow. Rather than work hard like Gary does, Wade just wanders around taking drinks from everyone's water jugs. He's quickly called out on his lack of work, but he gives no weight to the criticism, defending himself with a delusional account of his work. Joe gives Gary and Wade a ride home, and as soon as they're out of his truck, he hears Wade blame Gary for Joe not wanting them back the next day. Joe sees Wade punch his son in the face and considers intervening but then decides to stay out of it, for the moment at least, it's a family matter.

When Gary shows up at Joe's place later that night, even though he has to stand outside Joe's house in the rain facing an aggressive guard Bull Dog, insisting that he still wants the job , it's clear that Joe won't be able to stay out of the situation forever.

"Joe" is above all a character film and Nicolas Cage is in top form to show it. His character Joe tells us "Restraint keeps me alive."  This initially seems like an oddly ironic statement for a character Cage is playing, as he's so well known for his manic outburst style of acting. However, a little thought would tell you that Cage is quite capable of restraint, as seen in quieter films such as "The Weatherman," and "Matchstick Men."  and his full range, from quiet to unhinged, is on display in such films as "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Adaptation." It's easy to dismiss Cage to his over the top persona in films like "Ghost Rider," "Drive Angry," and "The Wicker Man" as those parts are supremely memorable. Cage isn't afraid to go over the top for a role, and works enough that these films can seem like a trend. It's nice to see him take on a role that lets him tap fully into his talent.

Never has the quality of restraint been displayed with more focus than here. Cage presents us with a character who chooses restraint on a minute to minute basis. It's not a quality he was born with but one he's trying to learn. He has a natural tendency towards violence and to make matters worse he's a very competent guy that really wants to be helpful rather than destructive. His problem is he takes the world very personally. As one of his crew members tells Tye, Joe expects you to look him in the eye. He expects that of everyone including police officers. When he's stopped by an overeager cop who imagines Joe as an easy target and arrest, we realize that he expects even a cop with his hand on his gun to treat him fairly, man to man. When that doesn't happen, Joe takes the man's gun away and beats him even though this will land him in jail again and very possibly lead to another prison sentence.

Joe acts in a way that he believes is fair and the world can be damned if it doesn't catch up. After all, Joe can only be accountable for himself. A film like this is usually advertised as a "redemption story," but a little thought will tell you that it really isn't. While Joe has a gift for violence and has served time, one important factor about the character is that all of his troubles come from his insistence on meeting the world "eye to eye." The time he served was a result of his reaction to some cops who had it in for him and had no interest in dealing with him fairly. His crime was that he didn't back down. While he is an ex convict, he's never a person of low character. He tries not to get involved in "every little thing" as he knows that the world doesn't feel the need to live by his code, and this can easily get him into trouble.

Joe's would be adversary, Willie Russell is exactly the opposite. While we don't see their initial altercation, we see enough of Willie to know that he doesn't deal with people man to man, preferring to fire a rifle from a safe distance. He's also fond of announcing that he "put his head through a windshield and didn't give a fuck." as if this confirms the character he lacks. Willie is the kind of guy that thinks putting "I'm a bad ass" on a T-Shirt is impressive and perhaps believable. We see though that even dealing with young Tye, he's sneaky and incompetent without an unfair advantage. He feels bitterly slighted by anything that points to his true weakness. This isn't to say he's not dangerous, only that he's not much of a factor in a forthright exchange. He's so consumed by his own inferiority that he becomes capable of anything, but is only dangerous from a distance, when your back is turned, or when he knows without a doubt that you're weaker than he is. Ronnie Gene Blevins does an admirable job, making this character creepy and disturbed enough that you'd want to wash your hands after speaking with him.

Gary's father, Wade has similar qualities to Willie Russell but magnified by his severe alcoholism and his complete lack of effort to function among society. He's not interested in impressing anyone or getting along, but he would let his family starve in order to get another drink. He would sell his own daughter for the same end. While Willie is limited somewhat by appearances, Wade is not. The opposite of Joe, he knows no restraint at all, other than that enforced by getting run out of town or receiving a beating. In one scene we watch him follow a homeless man in order to steal his bottle and rather than simply taking the bottle, he beats the man to death in the process, simply because it occurred to him that he could. Gary bringing food into the house enrages Wade, because it proves there was money for booze that he didn't get. This is not a character that has any love for anyone, and his family is simply a vehicle to keep him functioning until his next drink. Gary Poulter, a non actor and homeless man was recruited by David Gordon Green for the role, and he gives an amazing performance, leaving us one of the most chilling villains I can recall in a film. Sadly, he died before he got to see the film, but the role ensures he'll be remembered.

Tye Sheridan's Gary is the character that makes all the others converge. His performance here will certainly be compared to his last great and somewhat similar role in "Mud." "Joe" gives him a bit more range though, as he isn't quite as passive here. We see a fifteen year old kid who gets beat up constantly by his father, but at the same time doesn't hesitate to knock down a creep like Willie Russell. Gary lives with conflict constantly as is required to live with his family. Like any kid, he doesn't see his own situation as abnormal because it's all he knows. It's only when explaining it to an outsider that he starts to reevaluate it. His father's steady decline and the influence of Joe force things to change in a drastic way and once he realizes his own delusion he's determined to act. Gary has everything that his father lacks, but he can't fix anything until he realizes how twisted his father really is.

It's only a matter of time before these characters intersect in the worst way possible. Joe gets pulled into the situation by a growing bond with Gary, who sees Joe as a positive role model. Joe gets more details on Gary's home life.When Wade agrees to sell Willie a night with his daughter, Gary is finally forced into action, as protecting his sister is one of his most important responsibilities. Although Gary insists on handling it himself, Joe insists on stepping in, perhaps to spare Gary an action that would hamper his future possibilities. Arriving at a horrific scene, Joe quickly takes charge, finally settling things with Willie, who has no hope of standing up to Joe in a fair fight. Joe's code costs him however, as he tells one of Willie's associates to get lost as he doesn't know him. This doesn't stop the man from taking a sneaky shot at Joe rather than running away. Joe evens that up quickly, but not without cost. Wade, however is too evil to allow Joe a confrontation and takes himself out, plunging from a bridge as if he knew there was finally nowhere else to go. "Are you my friend?" he asks Joe, on the way over the rail, although he gets no answer. After things have settled, we find Gary picking up work with a man who knew Joe. "He was a good man." the guy says, and then adds, "Well, he was good to me."

"Joe" is a great southern gothic story, a genre David Gordon Green has a real gift at realizing. It's nice to see him spending time on films that are worthy of his talents. "Joe" proves that he hasn't lost anything since "Undertow," and "Snow Angels." While I can understand the desire to work on comedies after those weighty films, I found his comedies to be too much of the Judd Apatow school of lazy stoner laughs. While I'm sure they have their fans, his dramatic films leave those in the dust, and "Joe" stacks up with the best of them, presenting a unique vision that's as distinctive as you could ask of a director. I only hope he continues with this direction as his serious work has not disappointed me yet. Having both Green and Cage at their best makes this a double triumph of a film, not to mention the exceptional performances of everyone else involved. Even the slightest character has a story here, although we don't get the details of them all.

In this atmosphere, good is not necessarily rewarded and evil is not always punished. The only thing sure to be punished here is being more competent than others, and following more rigid a code than the rest of the world. Being a cop doesn't make you a good man, just ensures that you'll have a gun and the ability to arrest someone. Being arrested doesn't make you a bad man, just one who wouldn't submit to an unfair situation.

A lot of time is spent on the difference between what people do, and what they think they do. Gary for example, thinks he's protecting his sister and mother, but in reality he's simply trying to ignore his father's monstrous nature in order to keep a sense of family. Willie imagines himself righting wrongs committed against himself, but misses his own insecurity and depravity which causes the perceived slights. The town is full of people trying to do things but doing them badly, whether cutting a steak from a deer or trying to keep a job. Joe and Wade both stand out against this back drop, Joe because he knows what he's doing while he does it, and Wade because he gives no thought to it at all. Joe does what he thinks is fair, and Wade does whatever his addiction requires.

The people of this world are fond of generalities, as we see when Joe obviously hates a German Shepherd and a prostitute assumes that he doesn't like dogs. Joe says "I like dogs, I don't like that dog. he's an asshole."  This is illustrated by Joe owning his own dog, who likely comes across as threatening to others as the Shepherd does. Joe's dog, however, is doing his job and guarding Joe's house. The German Shepherd may think he's doing the same thing but at the same time, he's clearly not good for business at a whorehouse wishing to be perceived as welcoming. The two dogs serve to illustrate Joe's sense of fairness as well. When he's had enough of the "asshole" dog, he brings his own dog over for a visit and lets his own dog settle the score by proxy.

Joe deals with the world on a case by case basis and it's telling that he gives a lot of value to work ethic, because it's difficult to fake. A man who doesn't mind earning his pay is also a man that will look you in the eye. The choice of work is as good a symbol as any, killing failed trees to make way for stronger ones, much like Gary's family being unable to function with Wade at the head of it. Wade is certainly as poisoned as the trees, although the poison was not applied skillfully so it affects everyone around him until he's cut down, finally allowing Gary to grow up. We see that Gary's a stronger "tree" as even without guidance or a proper role model he tells Wade when he's done wrong, even though he's been knocked around because of it many times.

"Joe" feels like a redemption story but it isn't really, everyone in it stays true to their nature. It's more about the cost of being useful. Joe doesn't owe anyone anything, but he tries to help where he can, because his competency gives him the ability to do so. He sees a problem and he's compelled to fix it, which is why he tries not to get involved in things that aren't his business. The sphere of what is his business increases though, with every personal attachment he forms. It's no accident that when Gary really needs his help, he isn't asking for it but insisting that he'll handle it himself. This requires Joe to be the one that insists on getting involved, because he finally accepts that it's his own problem. Joe weighs his own future (looming incarceration, and health problems) against Gary's and makes the most useful choice that he can, because there's no one else there who can do it. His choice makes sense with the character we're shown, as do all of the character's choices. While the world of Joe is not a fair or merciful one, there is good in it, and that good realizes that it won't be rewarded or treated fairly, but goes on anyway, because the closest thing to justice possible is living up to your own conditions and being proud of the work you've done. You can't control what the universe does, so just account for yourself, in the end that's all there really is. Here, good should be done for its own sake even at a cost, when performed for a reward, it never really strikes me as being good at all.

Mud

The coming of age film is a long tradition, but it's not often done well. Most of the time, it's an excuse to tell a formulaic story of small challenges wrapped up with a tidy moral (see Superbad, most Pixar and Disney Films.) Sometimes it seems to me that there's an understanding that "family" films must be bland and reinforce a limited moral code, as if "children" can't handle complex thought, or perhaps that there's a magical age when they suddenly become capable of reasoning although it was never asked of them earlier.

Personally, I've always felt that good coming of age stories are the best films of all, giving us a chance to look at our lives with a fresh perspective long after we've forgotten what it was like to grow up. Films such as, "Stand By Me," "Rebel Without A Cause," "The Return," "Mysterious Skin," and "My Life as a Dog,"  to select a handful of examples, agree that an important step towards manhood is realizing that nothing comes easy, and the adults don't have the answers either.

"Mud" is a movie in that tradition. It centers on two friends, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Loflan.) Ellis lives on a houseboat in Arkansas, where he helps his father deliver fish to local customers. His father is stern and strict about rules but it becomes more and more clear that he and Mom aren't getting along. Neckbone doesn't have parents, and lives with his uncle Galen (Michael Shannon) who spends most of his time chasing women, providing a safe place to live and more friendship than a parental role.

Ellis and Neckbone spend their free time cruising around the river. They're fascinated to find a boat stuck in a tree on an island, and attempt to claim it as their own. They soon find that the boat has already been claimed, when a mysterious man named "Mud." (Matthew McConaughey) appears on the beach, after they notice his footprints, which leave a cross imprint in the sand (for good luck he tells them.) "It's a hell of a thing, a boat in a tree." he says, and proposes a deal. If they help him by bringing food, they can have the boat when he leaves, which is supposed to be after his "true love," Juniper, (Reese Witherspoon) a beauty with birds tattooed on her hands, arrives to meet him.

Mud tells them half stories and shares his superstitions including the story of his lucky shirt. They get a hint that he may be more dangerous than he appears, as he has a gun tucked into his pants, and takes offense when Neckbone calls him a "bum" telling him that he could call him "homeless" or even a "hobo" as neither of those terms imply worthlessness or laziness. Ellis is more impressed by Mud than Neckbone, but he goes along with his friend's wishes.

At home, we see that Ellis is caught in the middle of his parents' bitterness, although when he asks his father, Senior (Ray McKinnon) about their loud disagreements, he's told to mind his own business. That situation rapidly degenerates as his father heads towards a breakdown and finally admits that his mother wants to move away from the river and into town. This would mean they'd lose the houseboat as she technically owns it. His father presents it as his way of life on the river being taken away, but it's not as simple as that. When pressed about it, Ellis' mother reveals that she's been keeping the family afloat for years, although Senior likes to believe otherwise for the sake of his masculine pride.

Visiting Mud becomes an escape for Ellis, even when it becomes clear there's more to Mud than he first presented. After the FBI arrives in town looking for Mud with "Wanted" posters, Ellis lets him know. He tells the boys that he killed a man who was cruel to Juniper. This only strengthens Ellis' resolve to help even as Mud changes plans, deciding he'll need to get the boat out of the tree and escape. Ellis sees all Mud's actions as performed for the sake of true love. Ellis himself is experiencing his own love at the time, and punches an older kid for harassing the girl he has eyes for in order to start a conversation.

Ellis and Neckbone discover Juniper in town and act as a third party for Mud's messages. This gets them into a tense situation with a gangster, the brother of the man Mud killed looking to exact retribution. Soon we see that the murdered man's powerful father, described by Mud as "the devil himself"  is in town as well with lots of help.Mud asks them to get in touch with Tom Blankenship (Sam Shepard) as well, referring to him as an "assassin." Tom goes with the boys to the island, but rather than help he scolds Mud and tells him he's not getting involved. He tells Ellis later that Mud has always gotten into trouble over Juniper, who has a habit of leaving Mud and picking up with dangerous men until Mud gets her out of trouble, only to do it all over again.

Tensions mount as the FBI, the gangsters close in and Juniper is hesitant to leave with Mud. Ellis has his own battles as he has a meaningful moment with the girl he likes only to have her ignore him later on when she's with an older boy. He tries punching the older kid but it doesn't work as well this time. They find Mud drunk and not wearing his lucky shirt anymore as if he's given up. The set progression is altered however, when Ellis is the victim of a snakebite and Mud has to leave his island to rush him into town before it's too late, setting up the circumstances that reveal everyone's true character.

"Mud" is a visually beautiful film, clearly focused on the river. Jeff Nichols proves again (Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter) that he's a gifted storyteller. Small touches like boat landings, and puddles full of snakes and houseboats give it the feeling of authenticity. Mud's boat in a tree set up calls to mind the treehouse in "Badlands" although this time inhabited by someone capable of living in nature. The characters as well, are all informed by the river, Ellis' family and Neckbone's Uncle Galen both make their living from the river (though Galen seems to have it down a little better than Senior) This way of life, it seems is not an easy one and on the verge of disappearing. Mud himself seems a throwback to another time, and we can't help but wonder how rare it is to find a place where a man can hide out on an island and only by chance be discovered by a couple kids. McConaughey makes this role his own, as he's had a habit of doing recently. This character is a guy who has become so wrapped up in his own superstitious persona and destructive pattern of behavior that he's forgotten about many things that most people live with, (such as the law, and consequences.) As much as Ellis is blinded to danger by the idea of true love, Mud has taken it to whole different level. His exhilaration and disappointment concerning Juniper have become his life by force of habit. His hideout on the island is significant however, as we learn it's where he and Juniper first met, perhaps a sign that he's looking at where he's been.

Ray McKinnon's senior is a tragic figure in a different way than Mud. He presents us with a portrait of a proud failure. Like Mud, he seems to long for another time, but simply isn't the man he'd like to be. He presents himself as a traditionalist who wants to preserve a way of life, but we learn that he adopted this way of life from his wife and her traditions and this doesn't pay the bills. Mary Lee, has had all she can take of the river, as she grew up with it never feeling the need to mythologize.

Tye Sheridan does a tremendous job as Ellis. He sees everything that's happening and we catch him at a pivot point. Everything he knows about the world from being a child is being challenged. His mother and father aren't staying together, his father's work ethic appears to be pointless, and his ability to see love as a worthy motivation is severely challenged. He wrestles with these issues internally and by his own direct actions for mostly little reward.

Reese Witherspoon is another twisted character, as caught in habit as Mud, who she says she loves but can't live with. It's easy to see why Tom Blankenship thinks poorly of Juniper, as she certainly seems bound for ruin, damaging everyone around her on the way. Yet, Juniper's behavior is a known quantity. We know that she has a pattern, so while Blankenship blames her for Mud's misfortune, Mud can hardly be surprised. We do in fact see that Mud eventually accepts reality but certainly not easily.

The figure of Mud offers possibilities to Ellis. While boys typically see their fathers as a preview of what they might become, Ellis isn't happy with that. He knows his own father is miserable, powerless and broken in ways he isn't able to understand yet. Senior is also resigned to the fact that everything is crumbling. Ellis is young and wants to believe in things, possibility and true love. He isn't impressed by Neckbone's Uncle Galen, a figure of manhood who appears very limited in his expectations. Mud, at least on the surface presents a purer picture. To Ellis, here's a guy who lives by his superstitions and risks everything for the girl he loves. Of course, he learns eventually that Mud's ways are partly an act he uses to escape accountability. Ellis is hurt when Mud gives up on Juniper, despite the fact that he has little choice if he'd like to avoid prison or death.

Nothing works out the way Ellis would like it to, but his good faith is still rewarded when Mud saves his life at great personal cost and he even risks everything again to say goodbye before leaving town. Maybe Mud is still a fraud, but he has some good points too, that came out because the unexpected happened. In "Mud" nobody has all the answers. Mud knows as little about love as anyone, including Ellis' parents or Ellis himself.   But that isn't to say there aren't people who come through for you, Mud does in his way, and Tom Blankenship does the same thing for Mud. Despite washing his hands of Mud's latest campaign, he comes through when it counts in a real and surprising way. And Senior stays there too, even as the way of life he imagined he'd wanted is gone. It's all a risk, and everyone is both more and less than they first appear, but it isn't hopeless. Everything can change, but there's plenty around to believe in if you want to.