‘Joe’ director comes full circle — and back to Atlanta

Green, 38, made an auspicious debut with his critically acclaimed urban coming-of-age drama “George Washington,” which led to three other independent features (“All the Real Girls,” “Undertow,” “Snow Angels”).

After making a trio of mainstream studio comedies (“Pineapple Express,” “Your Highness,” “The Sitter”), he has returned more recently to his roots. Last year’s modest, little-seen “Prince Avalanche” was an introspective two-man character study with Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch.

Green’s latest is the gritty, bigger-budgeted drama “Joe.” Coming off well-received, high-profile film festival screenings in Toronto and Venice, Italy, as well as at SXSW in Austin, the film is driven by the dynamic performance of Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage playing an embittered ex-con and father figure to a troubled teen (Tye Sheridan of “Mud”).

Besides sharing thematic elements with his earlier films, “Joe” also is bringing Green back to town for the 38th annual Atlanta Film Festival, where he debuted “George Washington” in 2000. In advance of the movie’s regular theatrical engagement (opening here April 11), Green is scheduled to attend Friday night’s opening gala screening of “Joe” at the Plaza Theatre.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with Green in advance of his visit here.

Q: What generally attracts you to a project and what was it about “Joe” in particular?

A: I’ve always been drawn to strong characters, to very personal and intimate stories, and also to scripts where the landscape and environment function as important aspects. Gary Hawkins (who adapted the screenplay) was an old college professor of mine who had introduced me to Larry Brown’s novel back when I was in film school (at the North Carolina School of the Arts). There was a definite Southern voice and regional sensibility to the book, and a cinematic quality that just seemed to jump off the page. It had all the things I look for in a project. I really connected with that, the idea of doing justice to a novel I felt very passionate about. In a way, it’s like I’ve come full circle in my career, showing back up where I began. Only now, I was in a position professionally where I could get a big movie star on board with an invitation to tackle a great performance piece.

Q: Why Nicolas Cage?

A: He embodied the Robert Mitchum characteristics of the role, physically intimidating but witty at the same time. He’s proven successful in multiple genres — from “Leaving Las Vegas” to “Raising Arizona” to “Con-Air” — which a lot of other actors haven’t been able to do. He brought a lot of great ideas to the table with him. So much of the character in the book is interior, relying on internal monologue, but Cage fleshed him out and made him utterly human and real.

Q: Is it at all daunting working with actors of a caliber like Cage or Al Pacino (who stars in Green’s next film, “Manglehorn”)?

A: Not at all. They bring a certain prestige with them, but it almost feels like getting a master’s degree from film school. This is the sort of education I’ve always wanted and dreamed of, learning things every day by working with incredibly gifted artists, masters of their craft.

Q: How would you describe the difference between working within the Hollywood studio system and working outside of it? Is your approach to the work the same either way?

A: The only difference is recognizing, as a businessman, the necessity of being responsible for larger amounts of money, and a maybe a little more cautious and mindful of appealing to a wider, more commercial audience. A lot of indie films can be self-indulgent and wouldn’t necessarily play very well to a test-screening audience in Burbank, you know?

Q: That’s the great thing about film festivals, right? Providing a forum or launching pad for smaller projects?

A: Exactly. With most studio projects, the release date is set before you’ve even started shooting. The vast majority of film festival projects are just hoping to find a distributor and get a release date. They’re not engineered to be the next crowd-pleasing Hollywood blockbuster. It’s a way of connecting with an audience outside of the obvious mainstream. The responses we’ve been getting have been incredibly enthusiastic, whether it’s in Toronto or Austin. We even got a standing ovation in Venice. All of that is really rewarding for a film like “Joe,” which operates on a different level. The subject matter is darker, violent, more textured — not necessarily what people are looking for in a Friday night date movie.

Q: I still can’t believe you’re the same director who also made “Pineapple Express” or “Your Highness.”

A: In a sense, those studio movies really saved my life. I had a blast getting to exercise my comedic side. Sometimes, with my indie films, I can get lost in my own melancholy, so I like the idea of trying to maintain a healthy balance between the two. The directors I admire most — Richard Linklater, Danny Boyle, Alan Parker — don’t stick to a signature. They’re always taking chances and exploring something new and different, surprising themselves and their audience. I like that. Maybe my next project can be a Bollywood musical.