Since George Washington hit the scene in 2000, director David Gordon Green has impressed me again and again.  Whether tackling a big studio comedy like Pineapple Express, an intimate drama like Snow Angels, or outrageous characters like Kenny Powers on HBO's Eastbound & Down, Green has repeatedly shown he's a gifted filmmaker that can handle any subject.  In his new film, Joe, which just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, he tackles the story of an ex-con (Nicolas Cage) who becomes a role models to 15 year old Gary Jones (Tye Sheridan), the oldest child of a homeless family led by a drunk father.  Loaded with fantastic performances (including some incredible work by non-professional actors), Joe really impressed me at this year's festival.

Shortly after the premiere I got to sit down with Green and Cage for an exclusive video interview.  They talked about being at TIFF, the value of non-professional actors, improvising on set, how Green values the organic process over detailed planning of shots, upcoming projects like Eastbound & Down and Tokarev, and more.  Hit the jump to watch. 

Nicolas Cage and David Gordon Green Time Index:

• Talk about visiting different festivals and how TIFF stacks up.
• 2:00 - Green talks about the value of non-professional actors.  Cage likes the novel approach to the process.
• 3:40 – Green instructed the non-professional actors to treat it like any other job.
• 4:20 – Green says there was a lot of improvisation on set.  Cage says he enjoyed the experimentation.
• 7:00 – Green talks about his technical setup.  He values the organic process over detailed planning of shots.
• 8:00 – Tease upcoming projects.  Eastbound & Down season 4 starts airing September 29.  Cage is excited about Tokarev.