Review: Get Low

Grade: A+

It’s the 1930s in Tennessee and Felix Bush has been living alone in the woods for over 40 years. One day he gets news that someone he knew long ago has passed. At first, Felix thinks nothing of it and keeps going about his business, but then he realizes that he probably isn’t long for the world anymore either. Knowing his reputation, Felix heads into town one day to speak with a funeral director, Frank Quinn. He tells him he would like to arrange a funeral party while he is still alive so everyone can come and tell the stories and legends that surround him. Seeming odd at first, Frank Quinn and his assistant Buddy agree to help him throw the party as everyone in four counties is dying to learn about the mysterious hermit. As things progress, however, more mysteries seem to arise about Felix’s past and the interest around his funeral party grows wild.

Get Low is an absolutely brilliant movie. Writers Chris Provenzano, C. Gaby Mitchell and Scott Seeke created a wonderful, funny, heartwarming and emotional story. Everything about this movie was absolutely brilliant. Director Aaron Schneider did a beautiful job bringing it all to life. The scenery is beautiful and camera work was great. This is definitely one of the better movies I’ve seen in a while. The story manages to hit all the right notes in all the right places. It is very funny and times and tragic at other but it all flows so smoothly together.

Robert Duvall (The Road, Thank You For Smoking) does a wonderful job playing the movie’s central character, Felix Bush. Duvall’s performance in this role felt so real and was full of emotion. I really and honestly hope that this performance, especially that at towards the end of the movie, earns him some award nominations. This is some of the best acting you’ll see. Bill Murray (Broken Flowers, Lost in Translation) played the role of Frank Quinn, the funeral director. Murray did an outstanding job in this role, hitting all the notes just right. He was laugh out loud funny at times and somber and reserved at others. This is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen of Murray’s. Sissy Spacek (North Country, The Straight Story) played the role of Mattie Darrow, a long lost friend of Felix. She did a great job in the movie, even though she isn’t on screen for too long, her performance was great and a pivotal part of the story. Lucas Black (Legion, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) plays the role of Buddy, Frank Quinn’s assistant and friend. I have never really cared for Lucas Black in the past but his performance in this movie kind of redeems him, he really does a great job. The movie also features Bill Cobbs and Lori Beth Edgeman.

This movie is an exceptional film that should be seen by all. As I said, this movie is full of laughs and emotion. It is a great movie and, in my opinion, one of the best movies of the year with some of the best performances of the year. If you like quality movies with good stories, I can’t recommend seeing Get Low enough.

Great quote: “We run a funeral home, we run a business that literally everyone in the world requires. If you can’t keep that business going, it’s got to be you, right?”