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Get Low Stars: Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, Lucas Black, Gerald McRaney, Bill Cobbs, Scott Cooper and Lori Beth Edgeman Director: Aaron Schneider Scriptwriters: Chris Provenz and C. Gaby Mitchell Cinematography: David Boyd Composer: Jan A. P. Kaczmarek Sony Pictures Classics Rating: PG 13 for themed material and violence Running Length: 105 minutes Robert Duvall has quite a film for himself here. Get Low, with advertisements that make it look like a humorous film, is really in depth about tragedy, love and asking forgiveness. A man decides to have his funeral while he is still alive, so he can be there, too. Duvall takes a rugged approach to the story of a hermit who is feared by a town, but is aging as the town ages, too. Location is in the south about the 1930’s and that atmosphere is also a part of this movie based on a true incident. Robert Duvall plays Felix Bush, who lives on wooded land with “No Trespassing” signs all about. With slow gait and long beard, plus rifle, he, indeed, looks like a feared hermit. In the meantime, Bill Murray is the owner of the town’s funeral parlor, with Lucas Black as his assistant. Business is slow and they may have to close down. Duvall, privately suffering some discomfort, goes to the funeral home with a proposition of having them plan a funeral party for him that he can attend---with a stipulation, that people there tell stories about him to his face. This idea turns into a gold mine for the funeral home (Murray’s quips are well-timed) and publicity for the town. Enter Sissy Spacek, an old friend of Felix, who doesn’t really like him for private reasons. The story is engaging in the party planning process with one minister (Gerald McRaney) willing to participate, but Felix goes to another, a black minister (an imposing Bill Cobbs) and they have a secret, too. Gradually, the past unravels. I’m guessing that Robert Duvall may be remembered at Oscar nomination time for his role of Felix and perhaps even Bill Murray as Frank, the owner of the funeral parlor. Humor is provided by Bill Murray’s dialogue that he delivers well and his chameleon attitude toward Felix as they banter is a lesson in acting. When Felix is wearing a beard, you can’t see his face, but the body language tells all. When they are on screen, you sit up and pay attention. Sissy Spacek isn’t there that long and Lucas Black goes into the background whenever he is with Duvall and/or Murray. What disappointed me was the time developing the story and then the hurried ending as though the director (newcomer Aaron Schneider) was working with a stopwatch. Also, you don’t always catch all of Robert Duvall’s dialogue in the first half of the film. When he is wearing a full beard, it is as though the words are caught there. Soundtrack by Jan A. P. Kaczmarek is well done and cinematography by David Boyd is beautiful, especially the shots in the forest. All in all, Get Low is a character study of one man’s decisions in life and how they affected others. The ambience of the post-Depression era in the south is observed and settings are fine. One can see how a person could spend a lifetime in beautiful woods while the rest of the world goes by. Trees can hide many secrets. Copyright 2010 Marie Asner
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