Customer Reviews

Joe the King

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Joe the King is a tale of a young lad virtually abandoned by society and family. The father (Val Kilmer) is an abusive, alcoholic; the mother is a passive female who allows the abuse. In essence, she has given up. The older brother is in the same mess. All he has going for him is the fact that he is a year older, and is, perhaps, more attractive. Joe, for the most part, seems more like a little hobo (or to some, perhaps, a modern Artful Dodger).

This movie will carry you through many emotions, and most will be painful...even down right depressing. Fleiss plays his part perfectly. His facial expressions and body language can make you laugh in one moment; make you want to cry in the next.

The opening scene was difficult for me. A younger Joe has his pants pulled down and is paddled by his antagonistic teacher. I don't think this would have really happened during the time frame of this movie, but I did flash back to the many times I had to hold my hand out for a swat with a wooden ruler.

While Joe tries to work at a legitimate job, he finds it ever too tempting to start stealing. Joe is going to pay off his alcoholic father's debt and replace his mother's record collection; it was destroyed by the father during a drunken rage. Joe never uses the money for his own gain.

You will find yourself 'rootin' for Joe. You don't want him to get caught. But a meddling school counselor (Hawke) upsets the scheme, ultimately leading to the arrest and conviction of Joe. The counselor thinks he is helping. HA!

Prior to Joe's departure to the juvenile facility, the father delivers a rather touching dialog. But, too little, too late.

Many people may find this movie too much of a downer. You want a happy ending; it is not there.

If you are a male 25 or older, and if you had an abusive, alcoholic father...if you were ever tempted to steal something...if your boyhood days were tough and you lived on the edge of what could have been 'normal' but was in fact hell...if you've loved and lost, then you will probably enjoy this movie. I think it's a great movie, but then, again, I could see a lot of myself in Joe; I just never got caught. I recommend the DVD version, simply for the exceptional narrative.

this movie was wonderful, NOAH FLEISS ,whom i never heard of before, was perfectly cast in this film about a boy who has nothing but himself. well thats not entirely accurate, he lives with his mom,dad and older brother, but no-one realy knows he is there. the family has nothing, Joe's father (val kilmer) is an abusive drunk who used to be the school janitor, and Joe was embarased by his job, his mom is to busy to even care about Joe, and his older brother just doesnt want him hanging around him. so what is a guy to do, in this case Joe desides that stealing is his answer, he is not a bad kid, he just does bad things and has no role model to keep him straight.
this was actor Frank Whalley's directorial debut, which he also wrote. supposed to be semi auto-biographical.
i was so impressed with this movie that i went out and bought it. and i want to find out all i can about Noah Fleiss (a definite star of the future) who plays the part perfectly.
the critics didn't like the movie too well, but it did win awards at the sundance film festival, so it cant be that bad.
near the end of the film, something happens that makes you stop and pay attention, and look at your own life, because sometimes you only get one chance.

Remember this name: Noah Fleiss. This young kid gives such a mesmerizing, true-to-life performance you almost forget you're watching a movie and become totally engrossed in the life of this kid, who is at the center of this movie. This kid lives the most dismal, sad life and does not complain once to anyone. He just tries to live day by day and get through his meager existence by claiming little "victories" where he can. You just can't help but really feel for this kid down to the core of your being. A must see! Good performances from the supporting cast round out the movie as well.

This interesting independent movie directed by Frank Whalley is a worthwile and engaging coming of age story about Joe, a teenage boy (played by the unknown and excellent Noah Fleiss), who doesn`t seem to find his place in school, neighborhood and family. It doesn`t help that he has an abusive drunk father and a mother too busy to care, who let him constantly on his own and forcing him to make some (bad) choices.
This could have turned into a predictable, by-the-numbers tearjerker but thankfully the director tries to develop a deep and dry story, realistic and honest enough. The last scenes with Joe and his father are actually quite well-done, never becoming too sappy although they make for some moving and powerful moments.
Not a stellar picture, but it`s done with care and talent in all levels, turning it into an above average effort and a good directing debut for Whalley. There`s even some acting contributions by indie-stars like Ethan Hawke, John Leguizamo or Val Kilmer in supporting roles. Recommended.

Finally a Film That Proves Val Kilmer Can Act! Joe The King Is a Well Made Film that Is Strongly Written and has a Great Cast Led By Val Kilmer Who has a Role That Shows He has emotion! This was a Bold Role For Val Not Only Because he had to show a Range Of Emotion But He Also Had To Gain Weight and Show His Big Belly! You have To Give an Actor Credit For That! This is a Great Coming Of Age Story about a 14 Year Old Boy Going on 30 who despite having parents and an older brother is basically left to raise himself and gets in all sorts of trouble! The Film is a Downer at times because the film brings home the point that we are basically products of our surroundings and this kids surroundings are bleak, an alcoholic father, a tramp for a mother and a Future that is unkown! Despite that Cheery senerio, the film is compelling and I would highly recommend it! Keep that Belly Val and More Good Roles Should Come Your Way!

Joe the King was a film I rented out of curiosity. I have always admired Val Kilmer's less mainstream film performances. " HBO's "The Man Who Broke 1000 Chains" stands out in my mind. This film took me by surprise as much as it stunned me on a personal and intellectual level. I found that the character development was full. It was a realistic portrayal of one the most common and often covered up either seperate or combined social issues, Abuse, and Alcoholism. Plus, everything that can snowball when these subjects become a reality in a families life.
I felt that though perhaps not a critical success on many accounts. The actors deserved acknowledgment for their near perfect portrayals. The screenplay was excellent and it was a film that touched on topics that are often misunderstood.
For those reasons alone, I cannot recommend this movie enough. It is excellent! I own many movies but, I could not add this one to my collection quick enough.

This is a vulgar, profane, painful movie about a vulgar, profane, and painful young life that, at 14, appears already to be wasted. The boy, "Joe the King," never had a chance. In the most dysfunctional of homes, where he is cursed by both slovenly mother and drunken father, in a school where he suffers severe emotional abuse (not to mention a pants-down whipping in front of the class) at the hands of a fat, ugly teacher, and onto the streets, where alienation and theft become a way of life: that is young Joe's milieu. And friends, it isn't pretty. Neither is the movie. Poignant? Yes, absolutely. But pretty? No chance. And that is exactly the hand that fate has dealt to young Joseph: no chance.

The cinematic beauty of Joe the King-easily the most moving motion picture that I have seen in many years-is the dose of gut-wrenching reality that it dishes up . . . and keeps dishing all the way to the end. And then some. Because it doesn't just go away after the credits. It stays there in your conscience to haunt you. There is no saving grace in store for that boy. No one steps forward to save him from the sordid future that appears to be in store for him. No redemption. No touch by an angel to rescue this soon-to-be-lost soul. His no-good father (well-played by Val Kilmer) is moved almost to tears, but too late . . . way too late.

You like irony? Joe ends up before a juvenile judge after being caught for burglary and theft. And what has he done with the ill-gotten gains? He paid off a pressing debt for his father, and replaced his mother's precious record collection destroyed by his father in a drunken rage. Admirably, the movie-makers don't hit you over the head or moralize about any of that, they merely show it, period.

I shall not soon forget the bitter final scene as Joe is led down the long, long hallway to begin serving the kid's-prison sentence handed down by the judge. The boy stops, turns and stares you straight in the eye. Then in heart-rending closeup he continues the wordless stare. At you. At me. At all of us who failed him.

And it hurts. It truly hurts.

This movie is a great independent feature. The cast is outstanding, including the young star. The movie follows a young boy through an abusive father and tough neighboorhood. The DVD contains a insightfull commentary on getting the movie made and also good independent tips. It also analyzes what I consider the best scene in the movie.

This is a sad, sad, story. It is about a boy, who at 14, his life is already shown to go nowhere. The irony in the movie is that no one can save him, no matter how much they try. It seems his fate is all ready decided. The boy makes a few bad decisions and it seems to show that he'll stay on that same path forever. Whaley does a wonderful job with this movie. It's not a story about the kid(Joe) but a story of many real-life children in the same situation. We see the story through the eyes of Joe(played very well by Noah Fleiss)as he navigatesthrough every day life. The boy has no role model, and his family is the one to blame. His constantly drunk and abusive father(Val Kilmer in perhaps his most touching role ever)offers no support. Neither does his mother, who seems to be in a never-ending state of shock. And then there's his older brother, who constantly ditches him. We have sympathy for Joe because he's not a bad kid, he's just doing bad things.Others try to influence him such as a school counseler(Ethan Hawke), and fellow worker (John Leguizamo), but to no avail. Joe seems to be beyond help. Joe is eventually caught after stealing some money. The sad part is he stole the money to pay off one of his father's loans, and buy his mother new records. (The previous records were brokenbecause of his fathers rage.) The final scene between boy and father is one of the most moving I've seen in awhile.

This has got to be one of the great underrated indie movies of 1999, but then Whaley has always been one of the great underrated actors, one of those actors who disappears so completely in a role he doesn't get the same name recognition as the showboats.

The spare, powerful screenplay is shot with a powerful visual sense -- note the schoolyard and classroom scenes are exactly child eye-level, as opposed to most childhood memory scenes, shot downward from an adult eye-level. Even the light and texture evoke childhood. The details speak volumes. Little moments -- the tampon, the girl at the roller rink -- resonate, and the big moments are controlled and done without self-pity or melodrama. The performances director Whaley got from the actors are fantastic. Stars disappear into their roles. The children... the boys who plays Joe, his brother, and the friend (Ray?) show not a sign of self-consciousness. Their dialogue rings so true. This is a surprising and wonderful movie that came out in a year when everyone was asking "what's going on with boys?" This movie says a lot about boys without the heavy-handed style of Hollywood. Odd that none of the reviewers have picked up on that. Unbelievable that this movie was shot in under a month. Director is one to watch.