The main characters of Joe and Z are portrayed by Dean Temple and Andi Morrow respectively. Dean brings an outward portrayal of amiable dissonance to the character of Joe, nodding and faking his way through uncomfortable social interactions, while an undercurrent of frustration and amusement vie for first place in his world.
“The two leads have obvious chemistry. Temple portrays Joe as low key and the pain he suffers is bubbling away at the surface. Morrow however makes Z funny yet we notice that her blunt exterior helps to hide her pain much deeper… Here Lies Joe is a touching film which carries the perfect balance of drama and humour. The performances from Temple and Marrow brilliantly convey the way people approach and respond to the matter of suicide, and Battle has produced an emotional short film that is indie filmmaking at its best.”
“Our lead… rivetingly played by Dean Temple in a performance that is always watchable, absolutely perfect for the material and showcases his incredible abilities by speaking volumes through facial gestures… we instantly care for and desperately want to learn more about this lonely soul.”
“Battle’s lovely film is crafted beautifully in every frame and it is bolstered by a stellar cast across-the-board, led by Temple’s Joe, who is a study in subtlety and stillness. At the films’ close, Joe is becoming a man who is opening his eyes to the world for the first time in a long time and in Temple’s eyes, you see hope and a sense of peace that has long been missing.”
“Temple’s Joe is a prime example of subtlety and understatement, delivering a man who might be at the end of his rope, and intent on doing something about it, yet it’s so nuanced that your heart is going to bleed for him immediately. Such a state of being worn out and tired of the fight is not an easy place to dwell, and Temple brings this out believably.”
“Dean Temple was brilliant as Joe, a man ‘in transition’ and clearly down-on-his-luck, looking to end it all. Temple captures Joe perfectly from his darkest points all the way through to his acceptance of a friendship with ‘Z’. Andi Morrow matches Temple step for step with an enigmatic performance as ‘Z’. Morrow captures this seemingly free-spirit and plays it to the full bouncing off whoever she gets to interact with. It is a pleasure to watch Morrow and Temple interact as they have excellent chemistry on screen.”