I thought it was just great. Duvall puts in a monster performance and Bill Murray is (as per-usual) brilliant. The rest of the cast are all very strong also, and the screenplay manages to feel heartfelt but also has a comic wryness to it. Schneider's direction is rich and atmospheric, but most importantly, with the aid of the great performances, he manages to elevate a very simple story to something that is more than the sum of its parts. A bittersweet and charming experience.

Regularly hints at some forthcoming revelation that challenges the viewer's patience considerably, so reaching the finish line is quite tiring, though the talent on display gets the job done. I was drawn in by Duvall's erratic yet restrained, often humorous performance, guy still lights up the screen. Knowing the ending in advance would serve its purpose after repeat viewings as it'll turn what used to be a demanding chore into a contemplative filmmaking asset. Have to watch it again to be sure.

Pointless.

The film is commendable for its attention to detail in creating an authentic early 20th century period atmosphere. The sets, costumes, dialogue, performances, and even the pacing and cinematography all work together to achieve the same aim. The concept is intriguing, but to succeed, Robert Duvall's mysterious character must turn out to be really fascinating. In the end he comes close but won't go down in film history. A valiant effort but lacked the crucial depth and emotional involvement.

The plot is thin, although only revealed slowly, and I reckon people mainly watch this for Duvall/Murray anyway - And reasonably so.. Duvall stands out while Murray unfortunately doesn't seem to fit in.. Personally, I applied all sorts of existential themes and angst, before having them shattered by the unveiling of "his story" in the end..

Watching this, is like watching an old fashioned Coen brother's movie. Yes, it's that good. I loved it.

yawn.

It's not so much the story but the acting with the nice scenery and easy pace which makes this film very enjoyable. Nice to see Murray with Duvall in film.

A curious movie, driving slowly towards filling a narrative gap. When we get there, the missing piece supplied is less than satisfying but, in a way, it doesn't matter so much, because getting there was such a good ride. It's confident filmmaking; Schneider takes his time and his film is all the better for it. The acting is excellent, the humour unstrained. See it.

Duvall, Murray and Spacek's quiet acting makes it a good, decent dramedy to watch. Schneider is a promising filmmaker.

So is Robert Duvall going to die now? It's kind of surprising that this wasn't received more positively. It's not a great movie, but it's good, and it feels like better Oscar bait than most of the other Oscar bait drek that came out last year. It's fairly straight forward, it has good performances, it's kind of light hearted at times, it's about death, and it's set in olden times. Sometimes the hits and the misses seem random at best.

Duvall's crotchety hermit courts cliche for good reason - he is the king of Boo Radleys, and its imperative that this be the case for Schneider's investigation of the hows and whys of guilt and self-punishment to truly work. In his low-key, tastefully-evoked Depression-era Small Town USA, we slowly navigate the canals of Duvall's history, great Bill Murray and Lucas Black performances adding some dry wit and heart to the melancholy on display.

"You need to start saying what you mean!" Duvall barks at Murray early on, and then he spends the entire film refusing to heed his own advice. This flick contorts itself into an epically knotty pretzel trying to keep the truth about its main character hidden until the very, very end. It's a Southern slice-of-life period dramedy, it tries hard to be a Gothic mystery, but it's way too schematic from a script standpoint to succeed much as either, despite some good performances.

A good performance by Robert Duvall can't save an uneven Bill Murray and a thin and mediocre story.

Schneiders experience as a cinematographer is obvious in every shot. The movie starts incredibly claustrophobic, full of close-ups, and ends with robust scenery to rival the journey of Duvall's character. High praises to the acting as well. Murray plays a man in need of money who finds it in Duvall. While each line could be delivered with drama, Murray uses the comic tone he showed in Lost in Translation. Duvall does a fantastic job of playing a feeble man with a real gravitas. Props all-around.

A breezy, enjoyable movie. This is a phrase I never use but it passes the time quite well. Duvall is very good and Lucas Black is good, but Bill Murray disappoints. I can't tell you if I actually like Sissy Spacek or if she just got lucky a few times in the 70's. The cinematography is gorgeous and I liked the autumnal vibe.

Well shot and well performed. I just couldn't get into it. Plain and simple.

note: watched 30 minutes of it before giving up. good example of strong idea and good actors derailed by generic direction, and cliched screenwriting and music. if I only gave it a 2nd chance...

Robert Duvall is on top of his game in this film. Duvall gives a great performance, the movie succeeds because of his character. The supporting cast also dose a good job here. I highly recommend this drama.

Great cinematography, a good cast up ahead Robert Duvall but I never got into the story.

It's a perfectly charming movie, very mild and low-key. It definitely grew on me as I watched.

"Quiet and precise, it's a character drama that treats modesty as a virtue in and of itself." - Nick Schager

some great moments, but the way the plot was slow to start, rushed to finish, and i generally did not buy into the story

"It's got miracle-worker actors, but only a miracle-worker director could pull off this drivel."

83.500

One decent performance in an otherwise dreadful movie.

This is my kind of cinema.

A sweet little film, if a little sentimental. Duvall is great, the rest of the cast ain't bad either. Felt like a movie from another time.

An actor's movie. Veterans Duvall, Murray and Spacek are all great. Its a simple story of redemption which is lifted by the cast.

A great performance by Duvall doesn't rescue this otherwise strange and mediocre film.

A soulful, moving, and occasionally even funny little character piece with a great performance from Robert Duvall.

I thought it was beautiful and sweet, with a not-so-twist ending that left me with tears in my eyes.

Mixing genres? Blending humor and tragedy in an AMERICAN film? Why, it can't be done. It couldn't possibly work. Yet...

Excellent characters thanks to excellent actors. A simple but effective story about regret and the prisons we build from our guilt.

As of August, this is certainly one of the best films of 2010, so far... An absolute MUST for all Duvall fans. And, Murray fans better get on this, too! He's hysterical! ...There's some real beautiful work going on here.

This movie is a cloying tease too desperate to be taken seriously. Duvall and Murray do their best to breath some life into a narrative that is determined to literally lie down in the grave and die, but their best efforts are in vain, as Get Low proceeds to go nowhere interesting at an agonizingly slow pace. The spiritual cleansing at the end of the film has little weight, as it is painfully difficult to invest in these characters.

Despite never quite knowing what tone to take - driven by pathos or sublimely humorous? - and rushing to the third act, this is a film with many merits, nearly all of them in the acting. Duvall, Murray and Spacek hit such high standards in their own styles it makes the superlative acting by the rest of the cast (Lucas Black) subpar simply by proximity. A recommended chamber drama that, at least, treats its characters first.

If you aren't into superb character development and dialogue, excellent casting with Bill Murray raising the droll bar out of the reach of his nearest competitor, this won't be for you. The film's artistically deliberate pace is perfectly set to savor the story of (Duval) coming to grips with his demons as the legend unfolds. Casting was inspired, but 3 out of 4 of the main characters being old, and the lack of action, almost certainly put the brakes on its distribution. A crying shame.

Very enjoyable movie. I don't feel like it totally lived up to it's potential though.

Even though Duvall did a great job, and even though the whole movie builds up stories of his character, I found there wasn't enough character development of what he was like before the event to care about his speech in the end. Murray was so damn out of place.

Gorgeously shot and Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek do wonderful work.