Since George Washington hit the scene in 2000, director David Gordon Green has impressed me again and again. Whether tackling a big studio comedy like Pineapple Express, an intimate drama like Snow Angels, or outrageous characters like Kenny Powers on HBO’s Eastbound & Down, Green has repeatedly shown he’s a gifted filmmaker that can handle any subject. In his new film, Joe, which just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, he tackles the story of an ex-con (Nicolas Cage) who becomes a role models to 15 year old Gary Jones (Tye Sheridan), the oldest child of a homeless family led by a drunk father. Loaded with fantastic performances (including some incredible work by non-professional actors), Joe really impressed me at this year’s festival.
Shortly after the premiere I got to sit down with Green and Cage for an exclusive video interview. They talked about being at TIFF, the value of non-professional actors, improvising on set, how Green values the organic process over detailed planning of shots, upcoming projects like Eastbound & DownandTokarev, and more. Hit the jump to watch.
Nicolas Cage and David Gordon Green Time Index:
Talk about visiting different festivals and how TIFF stacks up.
2:00 – Green talks about the value of non-professional actors. Cage likes the novel approach to the process.
3:40 – Green instructed the non-professional actors to treat it like any other job.
4:20 – Green says there was a lot of improvisation on set. Cage says he enjoyed the experimentation.
7:00 – Green talks about his technical setup. He values the organic process over detailed planning of shots.
8:00 – Tease upcoming projects. Eastbound & Down season 4 starts airing September 29. Cage is excited about Tokarev.
__________________
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?