Low Down

Low Down

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jeff Preiss
Produced by Albert Berger
Written by Topper Lilien
Amy-Jo Albany
Starring John Hawkes
Elle Fanning
Lena Headey
Glenn Close
Flea
Taryn Manning
Peter Dinklage
Tim Daly
Music by Ohad Talmor
Cinematography Christopher Blauvelt
Edited by Michael Saia
Production
company
Bona Fide Productions
Distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories
Release dates
  • January 19, 2014 (2014-01-19) (Sundance)
  • October 24, 2014 (2014-10-24) (New York)
  • October 31, 2014 (2014-10-31) (Los Angeles)
Running time
120 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $54,051[1]

Low Down is a 2014 American biopic directed by Jeff Preiss and based on the memoirs written by Amy-Jo Albany (portrayed by Elle Fanning) about her father, famed jazz pianist Joe Albany (portrayed by John Hawkes), and his struggles with drug addiction.[2]

The film was executive produced by Anthony Kiedis and Flea (who also co-stars in the film) of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The film premiered in competition at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014.[3] It won the Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic at the festival.[4]

Plot summary

Joe Albany was a well accomplished jazz pianist during the 1960s and 1970s, performing with the likes of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Charles Mingus before his descent into heroin addiction. The film tells the story of Albany's life from the perspective of his then 11-year-old daughter Amy Albany through her own personal memoirs, as she watches him contend with his drug addiction during the 1960s and '70s jazz scene.[5]

Cast

Production

Actor Mark Ruffalo was originally cast in 2011 to star as Joe Albany however was forced to back out due to scheduling issues and production being delayed.[6]

Release

The film made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014, and went on to won best Cinematography. The film also won best film at the New Hampshire Film Festival in 2014. The first official trailer was released on September 18, 2014.[7] The film opened to a limited release on October 24, 2014 in New York City and October 31, 2014 in Los Angeles.[8]

Reception

Low Down was met with mixed reviews. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes sampled 46 film critics' reviews, 24 which are positive and 22 negative, bringing the score to 52%, averaging 5.7/10. The film's consensus reads: "Rich in mood and on-screen talent but lacking in narrative depth, Low Down tells an oft-told tale with a troubling dearth of imagination."[9] Metacritic, another review aggregator gives the film a score 58 out of 100 from reviews from 21 critics, six of them positive, 13 mixed and two negative, with its general agreement being "mixed or average reviews".[10]

References

External links

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