Early 20th century. Felix Bush is an old hermit who has been living in isolation in a hut in the forest. One day, Felix goes to a nearby town to a funeral parlor and ask the employees, boss Frank and his assistant Buddy, to stage a funeral party for him while he is still alive. Frank is confused, but since Felix has a large amount of cash, he agrees to all of his wishes. Felix also goes to a radio show and invites everyone to his funeral party, offering a lottery for someone to inherit his land. Felix also meets his old friend, Mattie. On the funeral party, Felix admits he lives in a 40-year self-imposed prison for the crime he pepetrated: 40 years ago, he had an affair with Mattie's sister, Mary Lee, a married woman. When her husband found out, he hit Mary Lee and attacked Felix, and in the commotion the house burned down, killing Mary Lee and her husband. Some time later, Felix dies for real, and people attend his real funeral.
"Get Low" is a good little drama film centering around the unusual plot of the protagonist Felix (very good Robert Duvall) requesting a "sneak preview" of his funeral while still alive, resulting in some contemplations about redemption, suppressed secrets, closure and recognizing one's mistakes. Besides Duvall, Bill Murray is also really good as the sleazy funeral parlor businessman Frank who is willing to be as flexibile as possible to get cash, so much that he even presses his assistant Buddy into doing everything to reach a deal ("But we can't do that..." - "That is going be the last 'but' I ever hear from you! You're a salesman now. Sell!"). There are some snappy dialogues in the first third of the film ("What would you say?" - "About what?" - "Me!" - "Oh, a eulogy! I don't know, what do you want me to say?" - "Say what you say right now to my face!"), but they get more routine in the second and third act, when the film also becomes somewhat standard. The culmination should have been when Felix gives a confession at his funeral party, about why he placed himself in a self-made prison and isolation in the forest for 40 years, and Reverend Jackson even gives a strong prelude when he introduces him ("We like to imagine that good and bad, right and wrong are miles apart. But the truth is, very often they are all tangled up with each other."), yet the confession of Felix's crime 40 years ago ends up strangely anti-climactic and not quite worthy to justify the story. Everything in "Get Low" is good, but nothing is truly outstanding or great in it. The film lacks some layers of surprises, inspiration or ingenuity, and fails to jump to some higher creative take-offs. Its story is honest and touching, yet meagre, almost too obvious for some cinematic trip.
Grade:++
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