‘Joe’ Trailer: Nicolas Cage and David Gordon Green Get Back to the Basics

The 'Joe' trailer is all about men trying to ground themselves again. We're not just talking about the character of Joe Ransom, a former convict trying to fit back in with society, but also star Nicolas Cage and director David Gordon Green, both of whom have run into their fair share of rough patches in the past few years. If the trailer is any indication, 'Joe' will be a return to form for both of them.

Before he got sidetracked into making Hollywood comedies like 'Pineapple Express,' 'The Sitter' and 'Your Highness,' Green made small, powerful independent films. Before he became enough of a joke that 'Community' could dedicate an entire subplot to his career, Nicolas Cage was considered one of the finest actors working in Hollywood. 'Joe' has them at a crossroads. But for the first time in a long time, Green is back to making a small character piece, and Cage is being asked to actually act, not scream and look like a crazy person. The film's festival buzz has been strong and the trailer looks good, so we'll just cross our fingers and hope that this represents a new era for the both of them.

Here's the official synopsis for the film:

A gripping mix of friendship, violence and redemption erupts in the contemporary South in this adaptation of Larry Brown’s novel, celebrated at once for its grit and its deeply moving core. Directed by David Gordon Green, 'Joe' film brings Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage back to his indie roots in the title role as the hard-living, hot-tempered, ex-con Joe Ransom, who is just trying to dodge his instincts for trouble – until he meets a hard-luck kid, ('Mud's Tye Sheridan) who awakens in him a fierce and tender-hearted protector. With a screenplay by Gary Hawkins, 'Joe' is based on the novel by the late Larry Brown (Big Bad Love, Facing the Moon), the former Mississippi firefighter renowned for his powerful, gothic storytelling and universal themes of honor, desperation and moral rectitude.

'Joe' arrives in select theaters and VOD on April 11, 2014.