I shouldn't have given this movie a star rating since I didn't actually finish it. It was just too depressing. There is literally not a moment of light in the first 45 minutes. Anyone who has lived around people ruining their lives with drugs and/or alcohol need to approach this film with caution. Maybe things lighten up in the second half, but I had better things to do with my time than wait around to find out. The poor kid.

Amy-Jo (Elle Fanning) loves her jazz pianist father Joe Albany (John Hawkes). He's on parole and a recovering addict. Her addict mother Sheila (Lena Headey) returns causing havoc. When her father gets arrested, she goes to stay with Gram (Glenn Close). After her father returns home, she befriends neighbor Alain (Peter Dinklage). Single mom neighbor Colleen (Taryn Manning) dies. Two years later, her father has a new drummer friend Cole (Caleb Landry Jones). Hobbs (Flea) is another friend.The movie moves slowly and flat for the first three quarters. Hawkes is a good addict. The cast is stock full of great actors. I think Elle Fanning doesn't have enough to do for most of the movie. She has some narration but her character lacks real depth. She doesn't have any friends of her own age. She makes a friend with Alain but he's quickly gone. She can't hold the center of the movie and it suffers from the collapse. The last 30 minutes has some interesting moves for Amy-Jo but it's a little too late.

So authentically crafted that my mind, in the beginning, couldn't wrap it's self around how Elle could look the same in the '70s & '80s - did she know something about time travel (Predestination devotee?). A true, to some extent, story with great acting, sets, props, writing and authentic jazz of that period. Good see an actor actually playing the musical instrument central to the movie's theme. An accurate telling of the impact of drugs, poverty and questionable parenting.Two hidden surprises were Peter's "Game of Thrones" bow and a movie theater marquee of the controversial and perhaps revolutionary "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song".

Low DownThe Sundance film "Low Down" showcases the life of Joe Albany (John Hawkes). Joe was a renowned jazz pianist who got his start during the bebop era and went on to perform until his death in the late 1980s. The focus of the storyline is on his music, drug addiction and his struggle to raise his daughter, Amy, (Elle Fanning). Joe's life is told through the eyes of his daughter, Amy. She is a bright-eyed teenager who appreciates her father's musical gift, and is his biggest fan. The audience immediately recognizes the loyalty and the loving relationship between Joe and Amy. She longs to understand him, his lifestyle choices and his overwhelming drug habit. The film is engaging and pulls the audience into Amy's determined quest to rescue her heroin-addicted father. "Low Down" is dark and dramatic, as any other great film about addiction and music. The film's attention to detail, the cast and their performances are excellent. The film has some of the best acting you'll see at Sundance this year or any other year.