GET LOW
As I arrived downtown today, I noticed that the increased traffic as well as some of the street closures, and also the masses of people on bicycles and walking the streets on foot. These were the expected indications that the music fest had begun. Still, this did not take much away from the crowd in front of the Paramount in lines awaiting admission to GET LOW. This film marks the feature film debut of Aaron Schneider, but one cannot tell this from watching this excellent motion picture. The film tells the story of a 1930s old hermit who wishes to plan for his death by throwing a funeral “party” before he dies. Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) is the enigmatic hermit who lives with his mule in the quiet woods away from a small town in Tennessee. The town folk, who fear him, like to spread gossip and stories about frightening encounters with Bush.
Bush comes to the realization that he may not be alive much longer so he goes to town to make arrangements for his funeral. After receiving an unsatisfactory response from the church’s Reverend Horton (Gerald McRaney), he turns to the good hearted Buddy (Lucas Black) and the moderately sleazy Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) who both run the local funeral home. Felix wishes to throw a “going-away” party before he actually dies. The problem is that he has few real friends in town and some emotional baggage and issues from his past with which he must come to terms before he dies. While planning the event, Felix struggles with these issues involving former love Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek) and and old friend (Bill Cobbs).
So far, this has been the best feature film I’ve seen at SXSW. Director Aaron Schneider does an excellent job recreating the era of the 1930s in Tennessee and bringing the beautifully written script by Chris Provenzano, C. Gaby Mitchell, and Scott Seeke to life. Provenzano who attended the screening mentioned that the story is based on a real Tennessee legend. The writers out did themselves with a lovely story that combines humor, heartbreak, and poignancy. It truly is a very well rounded story and movie that captures real life problems spectacularly. The performances by Duvall, Murray, Spacek, and Black are all truly wonderful. I joyfully sat in the third row of the Paramount Theater and saw these legendary stars up close during the introduction of the film and the Q & A afterward. Murray was hilarious during these moments. It was a joy to experience this film and get a close glimpse of the actors in person. I hope this film receives much accolades during next year’s award season because it definitely deserves it.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FOUR)
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