The Christian Century

Get Low is a redemption story that doesn't feel hollow or fake. That's mostly because the protagonist, a Depression-era small-town Ten­nessee recluse named Felix Bush, is played by Robert Duvall in a wildly imaginative performance that may be the finest he's ever turned in.

Duvall's film career spans more than four decades, and he's won a pile of accolades, including an Oscar for Tender Mercies, another redemption parable. However, he's usually been more authentic in supporting roles, many of them un­forgettable; when he stretches out, he tends to force his effects.

But Duvall doesn't strike a false moment in his portrayal of Felix.