Review of Joe the King (1999) by Carlos R — 18 Sep 2011

Clearly inspired by the influential and acclaimed French film "Les quatre cents coups", Joe the King is an equally very good film. Despite the harsh issues the film deals with, the film is charming and touching. Joe is a normal and good boy that sadly has been misguided through all his life, he hasn't been supported or loved enough by his parents, therefore he commits several bad actions. From the very first scene of the film, the character development of Joe is perfectly done, and fortunately he is surrounded by several other interesting characters played by some experienced actors.

Those experienced actors who worked in this film are: Val Kilmer, Ethan Hawke, John Leguizamo and Karen Young. They had clear supporting roles in this film, but they added their talent to this good little drama. It's worthy to mention as well Max Ligosh's brilliant performance as Joe's older brother.

The film has some ups and downs after its brilliant start, but it grows in emotions as the story flows, and by the end it was very satisfying, especially because of that beautiful and wonderful ending. I'm glad I watched it. It was a nice experience.