Low Down is in the tradition of 'Round Midnight and Bird: dark, slow moving, and ultimately tragic. In spite of the fact that it's based on the memoir of jazz pianist Joe Albany's daughter, it has a feeling of contrivance. The colors are desaturated brown and dingy beige; the settings are seedy and dismal. Jazz in the movies is all about suffering due to heroin or alcohol abuse, The joyous nature of jazz, not to mention the talent and discipline it takes to play it, is barely touched upon. John Hawkes and Dakota fanning are both memorable.

Pretty powerful movie about addiction. Profound and wonderful. Elle Fanning is terrific.

Well portrayed but no real depth.

Too dark, too long, too sad, too slow

An increasingly dark film with no climax, no point, and a sunny ending that emerged out of nowhere.

Slow-burning exploration of the fragile relationship between a heroin-addicted jazz musician and his devoted teenage daughter, set in 1970s LA. John Hawkes and Elle Fanning are superb, with support from Glenn Close. Director Jeff Preiss builds on all the senses, from sumptuous visuals to layered jazz sounds.

It's a beautiful film and the performances are great.

O filme aborda a vida do lendário pianista de jazz, Joe Albany, no momento crítico do seu vício em heroína. Sem prestígio algum no mundo da música e com uma filha adolescente para criar, Joe se afunda cada vez mais em seus vícios e em seu ócio. A proposta do filme é interessante, mas o fraco roteiro e a pobre execução deixam muito a desejar. Em determinado momento, o espectador pode se questionar: qual a proposta desse filme e por que estou vendo isso? Fraco.

Jazz is one of my favorite types of music, and it's the primary reason I was interested in this film. What I wasn't expecting was a rather sobering portrayal of addiction and dependency. LOW DOWN tells the story (or at least a part of it) of jazz pianist Joe Albany (John Hawkes) and his daughter, Amy Jo (Elle Fanning). Joe is in and out of prison for drugs but is still trying to clean himself up. It doesn't really help that the people he hangs around are junkies like him, so he eventually skips probation and goes to Europe. He comes back a couple of years later, but it seems like little has changed. If there's one thing that was frustrating about the film, it was that the characters in it keep on making the same mistakes over and over again. However, the central relationship between Joe and and his daughter kept things afloat for the most part. He truly cares for her and does his best to shield her from the seedy side of the life that he lives, even though she does find out on her own. One breath of fresh air was Glenn Close as Joe's mother. She had a no-nonsense attitude that grounded the film and kept it from descending too low into self-pity and misery. That's not to say that John Hawke's wasn't great, which he is, but his character is so unlikeable at times that it was nice to have some common sense and dramatic counterpoint. Elle Fanning is serviceable as Albany's waifish, slight and asthma-stricken daughter. This is certainly the best role I've seen her in, and she seems to feel at home playing these weakish characters. The only thing I don't think she did convincingly was break down into histrionics when her seizure-prone boyfriend (Caleb Landry Jones) is mistakenly arrested by the police. In terms of characters, many of them in this film are afflicted in some way. Joe Albany (and many of his friends) have heroin, his daughter has asthma, her boyfriend has seizures, etc. We see people when they are at their lowest, but yet the film never judges them. There is only the hope that they will one day rise up again. I will say that this isn't the easiest film to watch, in terms of the characters or the laxly paced story. Some might find it too slow or boring, but this is a character-driven biopic. At times I began to wonder when and how it might end, but when the end did come I was fairly satisfied. I should also mention that this film has an excellent soundtrack and score, and includes some scenes of John Hawkes (apparently) playing the piano. If that wasn't actually him then they did a great job of disguising it. Overall, LOW DOWN presents a tender and sometimes moving look into the life of a musician. Just be aware that this isn't your standard biopic.

The premise of the film is interesting; social relationships, music, drug addiction, and their impacts upon one another. Unfortunately the aspect of music was downplayed in comparison to the other two factors. More emphasis on the music and the creative process could have made it a better and more tragic film. Much of the emphasis was from the child's/narrator's perspective since the story is somewhat autobiographical. Nonetheless, the motivations of the other characters could have been made more transparent. The setting lacked the authenticity of the 70's even though the cinematography was grainy and washed-out. The character of the grandmother played by Glenn Close was well acted but unfortunately the director chose to use the same aria from Madam Butterfly as background music in one scene as was used in the film Fatal Attraction in which Close also appeared. One has to wonder whether this is a cheap inside joke or merely in character with the grandmother's Italian background.

Elle Fanning is compelling as the daughter of a gifted jazz pianist in the 1970s whose talents are nearly overwhelmed by his addictions, but it's a relentlessly depressing story of dysfunction, despair, and wasted lives.

This is a painful movie to watch, but the performances are brilliant. I felt transported to 1970 LA and the seedy world of Joe London. I recommend it.

I have never given a review for a movie before, but I can't remember the last time I sat through film and became unaware of myself in the theater. This is an intense film, beautifully shot, and amazingly acted. I bet this is the kind of script that skilled actors the likes of Glenn Close would fist fight over.Its not a happy movie - You may not leave with a bounce in your step - but if you enjoy delving into the human experience - this is a fantastic film.

Got a chance to see this at Sundance. It is a dark movie but the performances are absolutely incredible. I wouldn't be surprised to see some awards coming out of this one!

Cinematography was awesome!! Felt like I was there in 1970. I'm not a huge fan of dark drama's but this one had me following along. I would watch it again.

If you love cinematography and production design, treat your eyes to this film. This is some of the best production design I have ever seen--perfectly encapsulates the 1970's. It's also packed with extraordinary performances, but none so great as John Hawkes' beautiful intensity. The man is a master of subtle emotions.

This is such a beautiful film it is an absolute cinematic must see! The acting is top notch amidst a dark telling of jazz musician Joe Albany's relationship with jazz, heroin, and his daughter Amy-Jo Albany. Glenn Close, John Hawkes and Elle Fanning put in Oscar worthy performances. Worth seeing just for the Game of Thrones performances alone. Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage and Burn Gorman all have awesome supporting roles in this disturbing biopic.

Beautifully directed film about a troubled father-daughter relationship based on the memoir of Amy-Jo Albany's life with her father, jazz pianist Joe Albany. THe film was a joy to watch - bathed in afternoon light. The performances by John Hawkes and Elle Fanning are out of this world.

Though overflowing with acting talent and moody atmosphere, it gets stuck in a cycle of addiction and morning-after regret while missing a chance to explore the how and why of its characters.

Beautifully acted and filmed, Low Down tells the troubled story of the late jazz pianist Joe Albany (John Hawkes in a powerful performance) through the eyes of his teenage daughter (wow Elle Fanning).