It’s always a bad sign when a film opens with either a hand reaching for an alarm clock, or a man chopping wood- it screams predictable at the top of its lungs and doesn’t bode well for what’s to follow. Enter resident recluse Felix Bush (Robert Duvall), chopping wood. And yes, Get Low is predictable- a period piece redemption tale about the local boogie man turning out to have a very human story. But even if the plot isn’t new, a talented cast and sensitive direction manage to bring something original and moving to the proceedings.
Felix has decided to have a funeral party. The odd thing is, he wants to be there. Felix also has a secret, something he’s been punishing himself for for 40 years. What follows is a touching account of a man coming back out into the light to try to find forgiveness from his community, from God, and from himself. Get Low addresses big themes- guilt, salvation, good and evil, and when Felix is finally able to share his secret it is genuinely moving, and Duvall’s performance is a tear jerking masterpiece. But while the scene adds weight to the film, it comes just a little too late. Get Low is just a touch too long, and the pace a touch too slow, and without Bill Murray’s wily funeral director giving it some propulsion, you sometimes feel that it might actually grind to a halt. With a great cast, and solid script and some lovely comedic touches, there’s a lot to admire about Get Low, as long as you’re not in a hurry.
Showing @ Cineworld now