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Quickie Review - Get Low (A Personal Impact)

Just saw a beautiful movie. A movie that most people wouldn't ever rent or buy, because it lacks a cyborg or a spaceship.  There are no dancing cheerleaders, killer fish or vampires.  It's five a handful of lives that are all connected by a common thread.  The movie is just about as perfectly cast as any I've seen. Robert Duvall is amazing as the old curmudgeon Felix Bush.  Murray ads charm and wit to the role of Frank Quinn.  Sissy Spacek, who is one of the greatest and most underrated actresses of our time, brings out so much of the strong male characters, as Mattie Darrow.  Lucas Black has come a long way since Slingblade and is so impressive in how he subtly portrays, us the viewer, in the role of Buddy.  A lesser known character actor named Bill Cobbs, plays Rev. Charlie Jackson and his is quite the scene stealer.

The movie is about a hermit of 40-years suddenly walking into town one day and asking for a funeral.  His condition: He wants to be there, alive.  Murray and Black are funeral directors who want to grant the strange recluse the wish, but wonder who will come, being that Bush has a horrible reputation, the stuff which is of legend.  Enter Spacek, who we at first thing one thing, but are led to believe differently as we watch.  Black holds the movie together and plays such an odd character, because it's what he doesn't do that makes us feel like he's sitting watching with us.  It's quite effective.

The movie is deep on many levels.  Love, redemption, salvation and as the movie states, the intertwining of good and bad that lays within us all.  The movie will make most cry, because of its beautifully crafted script, great settings and absolutely outstanding acting.  Honestly, I have not seen such a well acted American film in quite some time.  The movie stood out for me because of the premise.  A man wanting to have his funeral while he's alive.  We're led to believe he wants to hear all the horrible tales the town folk have to say about him, but it's actually just a ruse to get everyone there for a bigger reason. One I won't disclose.  As for why it affected me so greatly, well that is for another blog.

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