Would you like to hear what will be said about you at your funeral? In 1938, in the mountains of Tennessee lived a real-life hermit, who had once been charged with murder, but wasn't convicted. "No Damn Trespassers" read the sign on his property.
One day he journeyed out of the darkness and into a small town to seek out a funeral director. His goal wasn't to plan for would happen after his own death. Not by a long shot. Instead, he asked the undertaker to plan a fun-filled "pre-death" party, complete with empty casket and preacher, with everybody invited to have a good time and eulogize him while he was still alive.
More than 8,000 people showed up, some from surrounding states. He didn't know most of the revelers, but they had heard about the strange figure living alone in the forest and wanted to see him for themselves. Many were hoping he'd either admit to the unsolved murder or reveal who did it. He didn't, but by all accounts the party was terrific and a rollicking good time was had by all.
The gent's name is Felix "Uncle Bush" Breazeale, and he's a Tennessee backwoods legend. His planned party made newspaper headlines, and he even went on the radio to publicize it.
"Get Low" is the new movie loosely based on Breazeale's story. The setting isn't even revealed as being Tennessee. Chances are that over the years the facts of the real-life event have been altered in myriad ways, turning the simple folk tale into a fascinating fable.
That doesn't matter here. What we've got in the film is the story of a colorful old coot who wants to throw a "death-is-coming" party. The codger is played by an enchanting 79-year-old Robert Duvall, and perhaps the part is just a little too easy for him, but he's still fun to watch.
The filmmakers -- director Aaron Schneider (whose first feature this is) and screenwriters Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell -- could have made a slapstick comedy about a curmudgeon throwing one last wing-ding. Instead, they chose to make "Get Low" an emotional character study filled with humor and insight.
The movie proceeds cautiously, making certain that we fully understand the bizarre event we're about to witness. Living funerals in the 1930s were not exactly a daily occurrence.
The early going is highlighted by Bill Murray's Oscar-worthy turn as the funeral director. He's surprised, as only Murray can be surprised, by Bush's request. Murray gives new meaning to the word droll. He and his assistant, a pleasant Lucas Black, work out the details, and eventually the party begins. There's also a beautiful side story about Bush reconnecting with a former flame, perfectly played by Sissy Spacek, who is sweet and tough, and you love watching her performance.
"Get Low" meanders a tiny bit, but it's never in danger of riding off the rails. Schneider, a cinematographer by profession, lets his superb cast do what they do best, which is to turn what could be caricature into absolute believability.
People are always asking me what happened to the good movies, overwhelmed as they are by the weekly parade of overblown, watered-down studio efforts. Well, good movies are being made, and it's my responsibility to draw your attention to them. "Get Low" is a good film with a delightful, engaging story.
Every moviegoer who enjoys heist (or caper) films has at least one favorite, and maybe more than one.
I think the newer "The Thomas Crown Affair" with Pierce Brosnan is better than the older Steve McQueen version. I like the first "The Italian Job" from 1969 with Michael Caine better than the high-tech 2003 model with Mark Wahlberg. Do you like "The Great Train Robbery" with Sean Connery or "The Hot Rock" with Robert Redford? I like both of them. There's also Connery's terrific "The Anderson Tapes." Michael Mann's "Heat" goes beyond being a heist film. Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack "Ocean's 11" is, to me, more fun than the remake for reasons too extensive to get into here.
Of course, there are the legendary caper pictures: "Topkapi," "Rififi" and "Big Deal on Madonna Street." If you've never seen them, find them. Jason Statham's recent "The Bank Job" also deserves admission to the club.
I do have a No. 1 on my list of great heist movies: It's "Happy New Year" from director Claude Lelouch. The 1973 release is called "La Bonne Annee" in its original French, and it's a flawless film about a plan to rob an upscale jewelry story in Cannes.
Now we've got "Takers," a picture with a simplistic title but a desire to please. It's slick, as are so many contemporary heist movies, but slickness can be an asset if it's properly blended with style. In a caper feature, there's nothing wrong with the protagonists having some style, and the five-man crew of thieves on view are nothing if not stylish. In fact, the entire film is a paean to style -- be it great clothes, interesting architecture, or very cool cars. The city of Los Angeles is also a character.
Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Michael Ealy and Chris Brown are a team of expert bank robbers who are soon planning a mega-heist, a caper so clever it will outshine all others. As the old saying goes: This one's the big one.
The thieves are so good that they've achieved a legendary status and the public has enjoyed their past successes. Perhaps needless to write, there's a veteran detective and his young partner who are not at all pleased. Matt Dillon and Jay Fernandez are the cops. There's also an ex-con and some Russian mobsters in the mix. Let the cat-and-mouse games begin.
"Takers" is directed by John Luessenhop, who last made a movie in 2000. It was called "Lockdown" and it was a deserved box-office dud. He's more successful here because his film doesn't aim for anything higher than providing a good time.
The ultimate caper is realistic, which is a plus. The requisite car chase is on view, and there's also a darn good foot chase through L.A.'s notorious traffic. The chemistry among the key actors is solid, and you've got Zoe Saldana on tap as the girlfriend of one of the thieves.
There's no denying that the movie is a bowl of empty cinematic calories, but it doesn't bite off more than it can chew. The elements of a good old cops-and-robbers adventure are present, and everybody works well together to deliver some fun.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | Aug. 31, 2010 |