Get Low (2009)

It's hard to classify this movie, so I'll just say it's a lot different from most fare you see at the theater these days.

What it offers up, I thought, was superb acting and cinematography. It's no surprise the acting is good when you have the likes of Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacey and Lucas Black. All of them are excellent.

This is so beautifully filmed you swear you are right in the middle of rural America in the 1930s. Shot-after-shot is a marvel. The story is slow but it should keep your interest as you wonder what "Felix Bush" (Duvall) is going to do at the end. You're never quite what he's going to say and do, at any time, actually, which keeps the story intriguing. I guess you could say that for anyone was had been a hermit for 40 years, living alone in the woods.

I suspect this film didn't get the publicity and acclaim it should have gotten, despite it's well-known cast. It's a "sleeper," and highly-recommended.

Fmovies: In the 30's, in Caleb County, the loathed hermit Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) offers a large amount of money to the local Rev. Gus Horton (Gerald McRaney) to organize his funeral, but the preacher refuses the request. The family man Buddy Robinson (Lucas Black) overhears the conversation and talks to his boss Frank Quinn (Bill Murray); they visit Felix and offer the service of the Quinn Funeral Home. Felix requests a funeral party and invites anyone that has a story to tell about him. Further, he offers his three hundred acre land for US$ 5.00 a ticket to be disputed in a raffle. When Felix asks Buddy to drive him to Illinois to see Rev. Charlie Jackson (Bill Cobbs), Buddy learns that Felix has a painful secret and need the help of his friend to disclose it to the population.

"Get Low" has an interesting premise of a funeral for a man that is still alive in a good screenplay. The cast is excellent, with Robert Duvall, Lucas Black, Bill Murray, Bill Cobbs and Sissy Spacek. The reconstitution of the 30's is very careful in an excellent work of costumes and art direction. Unfortunately, the story is weak, and the revelation of Felix's secret that should be the climax of the film does not impact and neither justify the attitude of Felix Bush toward the locals nor his self-punishment. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Segredos de um Funeral" ("Secrets of a Funeral")

You have to admire Robert Duvall. For fifty,plus years now,he has starred in countless films portraying characters that are somewhat left of centre. In Get Low,he plays Felix Bush,a hermit who has,for the most part,retreated from society,due to some mighty dark daemons he has been carrying around for far too long. Felix is old & feels his time for shuffling off his mortal coil is not far away. Felix is either feared or hated by most of the people that live in the town (as far from his land,as possible). Felix gets the idea of having a funeral party before he bids farewell. He gets assistance in the form of two workers at the local funeral parlor,Frank Quinn & his partner Buddy. The three of them plan the mother of all funerals to take place on Felix's land (a mighty feat,considering most of the townies want little or less to do with him). In the midst of all this,a woman from Felix's past turns up (Mattie Darrow)to make things even more interesting. All of this makes for a multi layered story that,despite the dark subject matter,will have your head in the clouds (trust me). Besides the superb work of Robert Duvall,as Felix,there is ever so fine work from the likes of Sissy Spacek (where has she been lately?),as Mattie Darrow,Bill Murray,as Frank Quinn (ever deadpan as always),and Lucas Black as Frank's business partner,Buddy. With Bill Cobbs,Lori Beth Edgeman,Gerald McRaney...and featuring Gracie,as Felix Bush's mule,Gracie (who would have thunk it?). Aaron Schneider,working his way up from cinematographer & film editor for television projects,directs & edits from a screenplay written by Chris Provenzano & C.Gaby Mitchell,from a story by Scott Seeke & Provenzano. Cinematography by David Boyd. The film's musical score is composed by Jan Kaczmarek (incidental music),and legendary Bluegrass musician,Jerry Douglas (for some of the American roots oriented musical score),as well as some nice use of some actual 1930's period popular music of the era (Example:does 'If I didn't care'by the Ink Spots strum a familiar chord with you?). This is tasteful film making,with top notch acting from a superb cast. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA for a few outbursts of rude language & some adult themes

Get Low fmovies. A charming sleeper of a tale set in the 1930s. A reclusive hermit, the subject of mistrust and rumor by generations of local townsfolk, nearing the end of his life suddenly decides to throw himself a funeral party and invites the entire town. Superlative and nuanced performances are turned in by Robert Duvall, as the old man, Sissy Spacek, as a widowed former acquaintance, and Bill Murray, as the funeral director who agrees to organize the event. Fantastic supporting performances are also given by Lucas Black, as the Funeral director's more moral assistant, and Bill Cobbs, as the Reverend who comes to speak at the funeral. The director, Aaron Schneider, captures the period extremely well and the cinematography and musical score are wonderful. The movie handles tough subjects like death, regret, suspicion and guilt with wisdom and a gentle humor that allows the audience to take it all in like one big ice cream sundae. Bravo ! Go see it ! Tell your friends to go see it !!

This as close to a perfect movie as you will see this year. A simple story about an old codger who wants something in the nature of an odd request. His odd deeds have made him a legend in the area in which he lives (think the deep south). He has been alone for 4o years living in a run-down cabin and chasing kids and people off his property with a gun. He is the quintessence of a deeply unhappy mournful cranky old man, and he is played by one the great actors of his generation Robert Duvall, joined by an outstanding cast--Bill Murray. Sisy Spacek and others. It deals with life (and death) memories of youth, and deep love between a man and a woman which has lasted a long time. I will not give you the plot, just ask you see this movie as soon as possible. Despite its shoestring budget, it is a GREAT film, written produced and acted by some of the greatest talents of our time. Mr Duvall is worth seeing in this tale, but the supporting cast makes it a superb experience. If you want see a great film crafted by genius, then I urge you not miss it!!

Get Low and its cast were very well-received last night at Austin's Paramount Theatre as part of the SXSW Film Festival. This is the type of well-written, well-acted serious film that gets made all too rarely today. The excellent cast was led by three aging legends – the cantankerous Robert Duvall, the hilarious Bill Murray and elegant Sissy Spacek – all of whom attended the SXSW performance and answered questions. They have lost nothing with age. One-time child star Lucas Black has begun to come into his own as an actor as well. Get Low is an example of the type of wonderful film making that can be done with excellent actors working on a minimal budget. The period setting in depression era Tennessee was entirely believable. The film is both very funny and deeply moving.

Very loosely-based on real events, the film tells the story of a backwoods hermit – played by Duvall with grace and spirit – who decides to hold his own funeral while he is still alive. The story is about loneliness, guilt, redemption, forgiveness, love, and human mortality. There have been few recent films that explore such difficult territory and do so with such humanity, decency and humor. I hope that this film gets a theatrical release so that more people can enjoy this rare treat.