DIFF April 4th

My first full day of the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF). Caught two very films, the documentary "Above All Else" and the Nicolas Cage film "Joe." The Texas-filmed and based documentary "Above All Else" carries with it some relevancy since it takes place in our own backyard, and concerns the story of a landowner's struggle against the Keystone XL Pipeline project that covers most of North America. Directed by John Fiege and co-produced by actress Daryl Hannah, it follows East Texas landowner David Daniel's (seemingly fruitless) fight to stop a pipeline from being built on his property. Relevant, stirring yet a tad dry, it's a truly sad story without an upbeat ending. The second film I saw was another Texas-filmed drama, the edgy and well-acted David Gordon Green ("Pineapple Express") movie "Joe." Starring Nicolas Cage and Ty Sheridan ("Mud") and filmed in the Austin area, it's dark, weird and often rambling, but it helps you remember that Cage got his start on edgier fare like this until he sold out and became an action film star. On that note, Cage gives one of his better performances of recent years, though he is upstaged by the up-and-coming Sheridan, giving another emotionally brilliant performance that grounds the films. Opening in Dallas on April 11, I will have a full review of "Joe" on this blog upon its release.