Do not let age fool you, Robert Duvall has been making movies for decades and at almost 80 years old, he’s still got it. He is the heart and soul of Get Low, a film that deals with loss, regret, and keeping it all inside. The film is steady and slow-paced yet never boring and always interesting due to Duvall and the other great talents that are involved.
Felix (Duvall) is a hermit who strikes fear in to everyone in town. Stories have been passed around about him for years and he remains a mystery to most. Then one day, he rides in to town with a sweaty wad of cash wanting to have a funeral party while he is still alive. And Frank Quinn (Bill Murray), owner of a funeral home, would love to have that cash because he needs it. With the help of his apprentice, Buddy (Lucas Black), they start to plan a funeral party for the craziest man and everyone is invited. And that is just scraping the surface of this film. While the party is being planned, we slowly start to peel away the layers of who Felix is and why he has been in isolation for over 40 years.
Duvall plays a man who has regrets and has been living with a secret for most of his life. He portrays Felix with wit, sorrow, and complete brilliance. But it does not hurt to have Murray and Sissy Spacek working with you either. Murray is a slick, partly greedy mortician who loves the smell of money. Business is down and Felix may be the only way Frank and his funeral home can survive. Spacek plays a woman who is from Felix’s past and perhaps may be the only one who truly knows the man he used to be. And you know use are seeing greatness when Duvall and Spacek share a scene together.
Black is a young actor who you may remember from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Friday Night Lights. He is great as Buddy, the apprentice of Frank who has feelings and is the first one to care about Felix and his decision to have his funeral party. His character is the one who has Felix’s best interest in mind and who Felix can actually trust and rely on. He is definitely better than Frank.
Director Aaron Schneider has done a fantastic job of creating the mood and feel of this film. From the opening scene, the story and its main character is an enigma. There is this sense of the unknown and it’s exciting and pulls you in and never lets go. You hear about what people say and hear about Felix and you do not understand why he would want to have such a big event after being alone for 40 years. You are left wondering what has happened to this man and why he has been suffering for so long. However, Felix may know exactly what he is doing, it has just taken a long time to do it. I can definitely say Robert Duvall knows what he is doing and Get Low is better for it.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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