Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• Commentary with Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Aaron Schneider and Dean Zanuck

• The Deep South: Buried Secrets (7:40 in 1080P)

• A Screenwriter's Point of View (5:08 - in 1080P)

• On the Red Carpet (4:23 - in 1080P)

• Theatrical Trailer (2:19 - in 1080P)

• Previews

BD-Live

Bitrate:

 

Description: Felix is a miserable old hermit who has lived in an isolated cabin for the past 38 years. He catches word that an old... friend has passed away and hatches a plan to throw himself a "funeral party." He even wants the townsfolk, who either despise him or fear him, to attend the party and share all the crazy stories they may have heard about creepy old Felix. Is he a fugitive? A murderer? Or something worse?

 

 

The Film:

In the maelstrom of muck that passes itself as filmmaking today, it is reassuring to come across the occasional gem made by genuine talents who still know how to tell a classic story with coherence and charm. The aura of William Faulkner lingers over Get Low, a chunk of down-home rural Southern folklore based on a real event in 1938, when a Tennessee hermit emerged after decades of hiding in the woods to hear the nearby townsfolk's opinion of him at a mock funeral. Moving the action back a few years to the Depression, this film, the debut feature by the Oscar-winning cinematographer Aaron Schneider, is a funny and tender retelling of that story, resonating with warmth and sardonic wit and containing a majestic performance by Robert Duvall.

Excerpt from Rex Reed at the NY Observer located HERE

Robert Duvall is an indisputably great actor who approaches his iconic roles like a man with a secret. As Felix Bush, a Depression-era hermit out of the Tennessee backwoods, Duvall finds the soul of a character who has shrouded himself in mystery for four dec­ades. That Felix waves a shotgun at anyone who dares to defy his sign, "No Damn Trespassing," suggests that he's hiding a violent past. I'll say.

Excerpt from Peter Travers at Rolling Stone located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Excellent image from Sony on their 1080P Blu-ray edition. Detail is very strong and colors are, appropriately, earthy and subdued.  This is dual-layered transfer with a decent bitrate. Skin tones appear occasionally warm and contrast exhibits healthy, rich black levels. Naturally lit scenes showcase more impressive visuals and there is some notable depth to many sequences. This Blu-ray has an authentic feel deftly supporting the, well thought-out, art direction that expertly establishes the time and locales.  Many may call this Blu-ray image 'pristine' - it really has no flaws - it is smooth and has a thickness connoting it's a strong film-like appearance.

 CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is not a particularly aggressive soundtrack (a shade of violence) and the DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 3590 kbps handles everything thrown at it very easily. There is an original score by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek that contributes sparingly to establish moods - it generally sounds crisp and exceptionally clean. There are a few moments of notable separation but the film doesn't require depth to be tested much. Like the image this lossless track is flawless and there are optional subtitles included. My Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

Extras :

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Get Low bridges the gap of a spry 'Don't Tread on Me' attitude to a very human story  incorporating a folksy Americana bent. Just as he did in 1997's The Apostle - Robert Duvall has the ability to embody a role like few other actors. A good friend told me how great this film was and, dag'nabbit, he was right. It's a notch or two short of a masterpiece but this is a damn entertaining home theater experience! 

Gary Tooze

February 10th, 2011