Get Low

This film is allegedly based on a legend. A hermit who comes out of hiding to organize his own funeral while he is alive so that he can find out what people think of him. Be warned that this review contains spoilers so only read after you have seen the film.

I quite enjoy the premise of a hermit or a person who is often talked about in rumour and innuendo holding a gathering to find out what people really think of him/her. In this day and age most famous people can just check the tabloids and internet to find this information. But in the 1930's you would have to go out and ask everyone. Or else gather everyone together for a party and ask them all to tell stories. The problem with this film is that it does not follow through on that promise. The self imposed hermit Felix gathers the town together to get them to tell stories but doesn't let anyone tell a story. While I understand that due to his personal journey through out the film he no longer needs to know what people think and the party is more of a way for him to confess his reason for being a hermit, I would liked to have heard a few of the obviously outrageous stories people would have come up with. Otherwise this is an excellent film about a man carrying a huge secret that he cannot let go of. The personal pain he feels has meant that he's placed himself in a self imposed prison.

Robert Duvall is perfect as the hermit Felix. Robert is a natural as the grumpy old man who everyone hates. The casting maybe fairly obvious as Robert comes across that way in most of his films but as we discover over the film this grumpiness has an inner meaning. While he is grumpy we come to understand it and feel sympathy for his character. Bill Murray is delightfully witty as the funeral director. Bill's role is great at not letting his character over shadow that of his client. Sissy Spacek is sweet as the only person who really knows and understands the recluse. The real delight for me is seeing Lucas Black. I have long admired this young actor and wish we would appear in more films. Here he is excellent as the steadfast young man who wants to investigate the hermits mystery.

An excellent adult comedy/drama that while not following through on its promise as far as the story is concerned still has great characters and excellent performances.