SummaryA 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
Low Down
Metascore
Mixed or Average
58
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
58
29% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
62% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
10% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Oct 30, 2014
100
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.
Nov 6, 2014
75
A perfectly cast film that depicts a moody world of jazz musicians, drugs and self-destruction.
Oct 23, 2014
60
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.
Jan 27, 2014
60
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.
Oct 22, 2014
50
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.
Oct 23, 2014
40
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.
Jan 27, 2014
33
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
7.0
57% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
43% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Oct 1, 2019
7
Low Down is an incredibly interesting story performed by a stellar cast. The problem with Low Down is that the script is just not up to par with John Hawkes, Lena Heady, Glenn Close, Elle Fanning, Peter Dinklage, or any of the other actors. The direction is interesting, and has a strong indie vibe, which does save the movie in some scenes. If you are a fan of any of these brilliant actors, definitely worth a watch.
Jul 8, 2015
6
John Hawkins, Glenn Close, and even Lena Hedey & Peter Dinklage (in smaller parts) are really good in their gritty, melancholy roles. Oddly though, this movie about a jazz pianist does not have enough music in it to give you a well-rounded picture of the lead character. I mean, he's not Thelonius Monk or Duke Ellington: I wanted to get more of a feel for the quality of his music. Instead, I (wearily) got a feel for yet another hopeless heroin addict. Elle Fanning was OK, but I couldn't stop feeling that she was channeling a grimmer version of Mariel Hemingway in "Manhattan."
Production Company:
- 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:
Awards
Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Chicago International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
