Sat 28 June
This is one I have been looking forward to as well. After a spate of less than great movies, Nicolas Cage steps into his grizzly, aging boots and stamps all over your face with awesomeness. Apart from a few moments, Cage is on top form, supported by the equally able newbie Tye Sheridan (both pictured below). You may even recall I mentioned Sheridan before as one to watch out for.
Back water convict Joe is just trying to get by and trying to put his rough past behind him. Unfortunately trouble has a way of finding him anyway and anger management is not his strong suit. When youngster, Gary, turns up looking for some work, Joe is eager to help. However family troubles follow the boy and Joe can’t help but get mixed up in them, leading to some truly tense confrontations.
Hard truths are to be learned all round and the need to hold onto the some semblance of normality is what holds these characters back from their full potential. The saying goes ‘blood is thicker than water’, however in the case of Gary’s family liquor seems to be thicker than both and is the controlling factor over their lives. Meeting - a reluctant at first - Joe, Gary finally has the role model he needs to grow up to be the man he hopes to be.
There is a grisly overtone to this film, from the seedy brothel to the boy’s alcoholic father’s descent into madness and desperation (played aggressively by Gary Poulter). Which helps stop it sliding into the sappy sentimentality that could have made this suffer. That’s not to say it’s devoid of emotion, quite the contrary – the natural bond formed between the two leads is front and centre, encouraging the actions of the characters and the audience to relate.
This hardened drama is dark and hostile, but never towards the viewer, it just provides the viewer with a window into another life. On top of that I cannot speak highly enough of Cage and Sheridan who share the warmth and humanity with those watching and have you rooting for a satisfying conclusion. Together they prove that the darkened heart of the story is good to the core.
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