X
- 2014
- R
- Oscilloscope
- 1 h 54 m
- 2014
- R
- Oscilloscope
- 1 h 54 m
Summary A look at the life of pianist Joe Albany (John Hawkes) from the perspective of his young daughter, Amy (Elle Fanning), as she watches him contend with his drug addiction during the 1960s and '70s jazz scene.
Directed By: Jeff Preiss
Written By: Amy Albany, Topper Lilien
- 2014
- R
- Oscilloscope
- 1 h 54 m
- 2014
- R
- Oscilloscope
- 1 h 54 m
Low Down
58
7.0
Where to Watch
Summary A look at the life of pianist Joe Albany (John Hawkes) from the perspective of his young daughter, Amy (Elle Fanning), as she watches him contend with his drug addiction during the 1960s and '70s jazz scene.
Directed By: Jeff Preiss
Written By: Amy Albany, Topper Lilien
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
58
29% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
62% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
10% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
58
29% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
62% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
10% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Low Down is one from the heart. It's a melancholy, evocative, beautifully made memory piece, unblinking and unromanticized, a lovely film that brings great emotion and a dead-on feeling for time, place and recaptured mood to a story that is as universal as it is personal.
A perfectly cast film that depicts a moody world of jazz musicians, drugs and self-destruction.
Low Down stumbles into the pitfalls of both addiction narratives and observer-style autobiography, even if Ms. Albany’s memoir suggests even rougher times. But it still catches in-between moments of closeness that aren’t always seen or heard.
The film hinges on the bond between dad and daughter and on the expressive face of Fanning, as we see her shift from a sort of nervous adoration of the unpredictable, if loving, Joe, to something more steely and independent.
There's only so much that Fanning's vividly expressive face and Hawkes's charismatic sensitivity can mask before we realize how little we truly understand what goes on in anybody's head.
Director Jeff Preiss soaks his movie in a brownish retro atmosphere, which helps smooth over the many dull spots, but only briefly. Though his cast is strong even when the movie lags, they often feel like soloists doing their own thing next to each other — always melodic but never truly meshing.
The film plays nary a note of reprieve and the dank aesthetic does nothing to help the mood. “Low Down” is unequivocally a downer.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 7 User Ratings
7.0
57% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
43% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 7 User Ratings
7.0
57% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
43% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company
Ballistic Distribution,
Bona Fide Productions,
Epoch Films,
Heretic Films,
Live Free or Die Films
Release Date Oct 24, 2014
Duration 1 h 54 m
Rating R
Website
http://lowdownfilm.tumblr.com/
Awards
Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Chicago International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
