SXSW 2010 Review: Get Low

Film, SXSW 2010 Add comments

Mar 192010

Sometimes I don’t need a complicated story to enjoy a movie. ¬†At the same time, I don’t want to have my brain turned off so as to not feel the movie is below me (if there is such a thing). ¬†Get Low is the perfect mix- a simple yet smartly told story. ¬†Upon exiting the theater Wednesday, I told Jesse that it’s the kind of movie I can take my parents to go see. ¬†It has enough old school themes and non-offensive happenings that it almost feels as though it was produced years ago. ¬†It’s for these reasons, and a few more, that I’m giving this film a strong recommendation.

Felix Bush (Robert Duval) is a hermit that’s been living on his own for close to 40 years. ¬†He has 300 acres of land and a cabin he built himself. ¬†A gentleman shows up to his property one day to inform him that a long time friend of Felix’s has passed away from old age. ¬†Felix decides that he doesn’t want to wait until his death to be the next time he speaks to folk so he decides to stage a living funeral. ¬†He hires the local funeral home, run by Buddy (Lucas Black) and Frank (Bill Murray), to stage the preceding. ¬†Along the way, a past love interest (Sissy Spacek) is thrust back into his life to further complicate things.

So let’s talk about the one aspect you might not expect from a movie like this- humor. ¬†Now I’ll admit that the premise is rather silly but there is some great comedic material throughout. ¬†Duval has a way of making an old, crotchety man just as lovable as the Carl from Up. And of course when you have Bill Murray it’s damn near impossible to not include the funny. ¬†His portrayal as an opportunistic funeral home manager handles a great balance of humor and drama. ¬†Lucas Black, who just seems to be the more consistent young actor working today, is not lost in the sea of acting experience either. ¬†He proves to be a great adversary to Murray in key scenes and bonds with Duval’s Felix rather nicely. ¬†In a male dominated cast, Spacek comes across really well. ¬†She does her best holding her own and well… That’s all I can really say. ¬†All around, the cast is great.

So as I said, it’s a simple movie that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. ¬†I enjoyed it much more than I usually do with films like this and that probably has a lot to do with how funny it is. ¬†I know some folks, particularly the younger crowd, will take issue with the slow pace and old fashioned nature the flick offers. ¬†But honestly, this is a pretty damn good movie. ¬†Check it out when it releases in July.