Directed by first time director and long time cinematographer Aaron Schneider, Get Low is able to grab your full attention right from the get go, mainly because of the simple and original plot concept; A man throwing a funeral party for himself before he has died. Its a creative idea, and works wonderfully for the screen due to a witty and fun screenplay that you don’t really anticipate, as well as some fine acting, including the performance that is a clear-cut favorite to win an Oscar for Best Actor. But who pays attention to that silly awards show anymore? Fools, that’s who.

Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) is a hermit of an old man. He’s been living in isolation in the same house for over 40 hours. Over that time, many legends and myths grew and grew, to the point that everybody in their right mind is deathly afraid of him. Granted, the way he acts around other people when they do see him doesn’t help out his defense, but that doesn’t happen but every few moons, which make the stories grow even more rampant. Sensing that his time is waning, ol’ Mr. Bush decides he wants to throw a party for his death, inviting everybody who has a story to tell about him. He also has a confession to make, something that’s been eating away at him for 40 years, and needs to make his peace before he goes, even though he believes that he has nothing to apologize about. This is where Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) comes in, as director of the local funeral home which is in danger of going out of business. Quinn agrees to throws the party, only because he believes he make a pretty penny off of it.

But that right there is where the story begins to confuse itself, trying to jam too much surrounding plot material into the main purpose of the film. It’s a cheap shot at trying to build drama that really isn’t there, it somewhat ruins the tone of the film, and ends up being a distraction from the story that we are actually interested in. The only other problem I had with this film was the climax. The entire movie builds up what exactly Bush is ashamed of, making his secret sound like a horror that will knock you out of your seat. And while the story he relinquishes is certainly something that could haunt somebody for the rest of their lives, it just felt like a letdown compared to what could have been more. As much as these flaws prevented the movie from being something greater, that is not to say that this script was well written. I went into this movie expecting a dark, somewhat bleak story about someone wanting to celebrate their death. But I found myself, and rest of the crowd, laughing quite a bit at the witty dialogue that comes out of nowhere. I guess I shouldn’t have expected less with a movie that has Bill Murray in it, but the banter between the characters is uplifting for the most part, adding to the overall entertainment of the film.

Duvall delivers a haunting performance as the feature character, fully believable as a character that has been in isolation for 40+ years and on the verge on death. While Colin Firth has certainly been gaining momentum as of late, I would still say that Duvall is the clear cut favorite. Firth might have the slight advantage eventually since some feel that he was cheated out of an Oscar last year, and Duvall already has his, but Duvall’s performance has been talked about since late last year, and it is still holding atop the leaderboard, which has to count for something. Bill Murray was wonderful as the conflicted caretaker, even if his character does cause most of the problems with the script. Murray hasn’t lost one bit of his comedic timing, and plays well off his protege, played by Lucas Black. Black helps keep the movie grounded, and does an admirable job as the connection between the audience and the movie. Sissy Spacek  helps build up the tension of the mystery of Bush, and ends up offering an emotionally conflicted character that helps the climax pack a bigger punch than it would have otherwise.

Despite its flaws in the screenplay, Get Low eventually overcomes its negatives by providing a surprisingly fun first half, anchored by veteran actors that will have the full attention of the coming awards season. Robert Duvall gives his best performance in ages, and possibly his best to date, and gives the movie a certain touch that makes it almost impossible to hate.

B+

Notes: Rated PG-13 for some thematic material and brief violent content. 103 minutes.

Lesson of the Day: In movies, even after having your entire body on fire for an extended amount of time, you have no signs of getting burned.

Oscar Considerations:

• Best Actor in Leading Role (Robert Duvall)
• Best Actor in Supporting Role (Bill Murray)
• Best Actress in Supporting Role (Sissy Spacek)
• Best Art Direction
• Best Cinematography
• Best Costume Design
• Best Makeup
• Best Music- Original Score