It takes a truly talented actor to make us forget about the cliches and sappiness of a screenplay. Robert Duvall does just that in Aaron Schneider’s ‘Get Low’. The film has enough church-ism preaching to get any moviegoer crazy but its heart lies in Duvall’s uncanny ability to believe in the character he’s playing & create an honest, touching performance out of his sketch. Do not discount him when it comes to the Best Actor Race, he’s right up there.
Duvall plays Felix Bush, a man that wants to throw a funeral party for himself, problem is he’s still alive and most of the town already hates his guts. He’s a hermit practically living in a far out part of the Tennessee woods. Isolating himself from everything around him because of a violent incident that’s haunted him for nearly 3 decades. Bill Murray is the Funeral service manager and encourages Felix’s idea just to get the extra cash in a town that has one of the lowest death rates in the State.
Murray is dead on as usual and confirms his reputation as one of the finest character actors in American movies today but it’s Duvall’s Felix that steals the show as a lovable nut job that has deep, dark secrets lying inside him. With his messy grey hair and Bible-esque beard, Duvall is electrifying every time the camera focuses on him- a loose canon about to explode at any minute. He chases any visitor with his shotgun and refuses to bow down to the conventions of ordinary life.
The last time he got a nomination was when he stole the show with his portrayal of Attorney Jerome Facher in a ‘Civil Action’. Felix in ‘Get Low’ is his best chance at a nomination in a decade. He is a respectable actor, loved by his peers with a legendary reputation in the acting circle. Only a fool would dismiss the chances Duvall has with his newest character sketch. Unlike the movie itself, his performance is a real beaut.
