Get Low
Cast: Robert Duvall, Lucas Black, Sissy Spacek, Bill Cobbs, and Bill Murray
Directed by Aaron Schinder
Screenplay by Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell.

Get Low has a spark for good old fable storytelling but doesn’t keep the flame burning all the way through, leaving you with one of those Hallmark Channel tacked on ending.

Felix Bush (Robert Duvall in another one of his quite and grandiose performances), a legendary and feared hermit in 1930s Tennessee, decides after 40 years of seclusion to pay for  a funeral party before he dies. All he wants is for people to come and tell them a story about him. This attracts the likes of funeral parlor Frank Quinn (Bill Murray in another one his great sarcastic roles) and his assistant Buddy (Lucas Black, the kid from Sling Blade all grown up) in creating this very odd once-in-a-lifetime event. Yet, something inside Bush is burning very deeply for him to make amends with local piano teacher Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek). Things are not what they seem for Bush and his funeral party.

The story starts out with miraculous detail to the environment and mood, from the crackling fires and woods that surround Bush’s cabin house to the details of Quinn’s office. Get Low knows its timeline and environment well, but then settles on a story about a guy filled with regret.

Cinematographer Aaron Schneider makes his directorial debut and gives the film that special camera eye treatment, but it feels that all of the first act build up and detail get lost once the ball starts rolling towards its sugary sweet ending. Schneider shows a lot of promise in making it look great and letting the actors try out all their character quirk, but for next time needs to focus on a screenplay that is equal to the visuals.

With each character that is introduced, we think this film will take on an odd, but very surprising look at this town and this man they all fear. A thing or two about this type of grassroots storytelling can be taken from the Cohe Brothers films, since they know when and where to take these mysterious places with odd-ball characters to surprising and well thought out places.

What we do get are two special performances from Duvall and Murray. They are such valuable screen icons now that when the film reaches its half-baked point, they still give it their enigmatic touch and give us a bridge to the end. A monologue that Duvall gives at the climax is tacked on but he adds his own special and fascinating tics to it, making it something quite more powerful than it really is.

Get Low at the end feels like a practice run for Schneider, who shows a lot of visual promise and has the acting talent to help him fulfill it. All he needs now is to find a story that will take him all the way.

Grade: C+

Director: Aaron Schneider

Cast: Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek

Synopsis: A movie spun out of equal parts folk tale, fable and real-life legend about the mysterious, 1930s Tennessee hermit who famously threw his own rollicking funeral party… while he was still alive.

Do you like Bill Murray? Do you like Robert Duvall? Do you like smug "indie dramedies?" Then you’re going to love, Get Low, the story of a mysterious old man who wants to have his funeral whille…get this…HE’S STILL ALVIE! How disgustingly clever.

Don’t get me wrong, with a cast like that, I’m sure it’s a great film. But after watching the trailer, I got the urge to drive over to Steven Soderbergh‘s house and punch him in the face even though he’s not involved with the film.

I mean, just look at the dialogue.

Radio Interviewer: "How are you today, sir?"

Robert Duvall’s Character: "I am."

Oh, shut the f**k up and stop being so playfully mysterious, you smug bastard! And tell Bill Murray’s character to stop being so god damn witty!

Watch the Get Low trailer after the jump.