The “Oscar buzz” poster.
Another example of a triumph on paper not translating on the big screen. Get Low has a lot of potential but never reaches any heights, leaving it a reasonably interesting but inessential film.
It is nevertheless harmless and moderately enjoyable – granted not high praise but it’s all I can come up with.
Without the character of Felix Bush, Get Low doesn’t exist, so let’s deal with him first. Felix (Robert Duvall) is an “ornery cuss” who lives alone outside of town – in an era that I am guessing is the 1940s? Felix is the stereotypical grumpy loner, unshaven and inhospitable, the guy that the young kids creep through the woods to simply get a glimpse of, knowing full well they’ll run home screaming if spotted.
“Get out my damn yard ya pesky kids!”
We find that Felix has no need for help or companionship of others – aside from his mule Gracie – and the local townsfolk are both fearful and wary of him for reasons initially unknown, perhaps even to them. He has lived alone in this reclusive fashion for over 4 decades with no outside contact, until now…
Felix (and Gracie) head into town one day on an errand. Felix has decided that he can’t wait for the inevitable and wants his funeral organised. Now.
While he’s still kicking.
The first funeral director consults his inner self and says no, despite the balled up wad of cash thrown at him. Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) is going broke and looking for business… he says yes. (Apparently there wasn’t much dying going on at the time.)
But Frank isn’t stupid – just greedy – he has heard the miscellaneous rumours and legends of Felix Bush and wants no part of him that he can’t spend. Frank sics his young honest understudy named Buddy Robinson on the case.
Felix has reasonably simple yet strange demands for his living funeral. He wants a party, he wants to be there, and the only people to be invited are those who come along armed with a story about Felix. Whether the story needs to be favourable to Felix or even true isn’t mentioned. All good so far, but the intensity kicks up a notch when Felix adds that he plans to raffle of his entire estate and land for anyone interested if they kick in $5.
So Buddy and Frank set about advertising, Buddy because he wants to do the right thing by his client who he is sure is merely a confused old man, Frank as he is sure Felix can’t possibly keep track of EVERY $5 raffle entry that comes in.
But this is where things get complicated. The posters go up and the money starts rolling in from all around. As the notoriety and attention grows faces pop up with stories to tell, most notably a woman named Mattie with whom Felix “shared a past” in the era before he shrank away from society. A further demand that a specific preacher be sourced to introduce the party lest it all be cancelled leads Felix and Buddy on a long journey, and all the while Frank counts the cash.
The primary reason for sticking with Felix’s journey is supposed to be the big reveal as to why he decided to remain alone for so very long. It is hinted at through the mid section of the film that in his early years he had quite a lot going for him, and that his disappearance was never really explained. Without spoilers I can say that when we do learn the full backstory I must admit to being a little underwhelmed, though it is fair to say that Felix was far more than a crazy old coot living alone in the woods.
The entire film revolves around Robert Duvall and his cantankerous portrayal of Felix, he reveals just enough though when required to suggest there is far more behind the bushy beard that he sports for the first half of the movie, and that even when it seems he is being took we must remember looks can be deceiving.
Bill Murray is Bill Murray in his brief role as Frank, smarmy cocky and full of judgment for all others, but Lucas Black as Buddy becomes the trusted adviser to Felix and is the one who silently rides along with him for much of his journey.
Final Rating – 6.5 / 10. While the journey is ultimately pretty dull, Duvall and Murray are like a good mixtape on a long trip that you don’t really want to be taking, they make a dull ride tolerable.
