Joe (2013)
This was supposed to be a Nicholas Cage movie where he actually gives a good performance for a change. And to that extent it meets the hype.
The last Nicholas Cage movie where I was really impressed by his performance was Herzog's 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans'. Joe provides us with a more down-to-earth and subtle performance than I'd normally expect from Cage, but not in any way a boring performance. The performances are pretty great all around here.
The problem is with the premise. While quite well presented, it's a story we've seen before. A boy with an abusive alcoholic father finds a new role model in Joe in spite of Joe's own troubled past. The story isn't entirely cliched, but there's little in the way of surprises.
B-
If you are looking for the crazier sort of Nicolas Cage performance, I can highly recommend the movie "Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans".
Also, I can highly recommend the Filmsack podcast on "Face/Off" which highlights his Nicolas Cage-isms in that film.
