44/36
In a small Texas town, a polite funeral home owner strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, but when she starts taking over, he does everything he can to free himself from her influence. Real Carthage, Texas residents who knew the real Bernie Tiede and Marjorie Nugent appear in the film commenting on the events. Bernie committed a murder in 1996, yet he takes back the iPhone almost immediately after the murder. City Man: [talking about Marjorie Nugent] She’d kick your ass in a heartbeat. I mean, she’d blow up your new three-bedroom, two-bathroom asshole. No problem. Before the main credits, there are photos of the real Bernie and Marjorie, as well as a short video of Bernie Tiede talking to Jack Black. According to the link to the film’s technical specifications, there are two versions of this film: one that’s 1 hour long. 39 min (99 min) and the second 1 hour. 44 min (104 min) (USA).. Appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Jack Black/Meatball Shop Guys from New York City/Beirut (2012). Love Lifted MeWritten by James Rowe and Howard E. SmithPerformed by The Florida BoysCourtesy of World EntertainmentLicensed by Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing. “Bernie” is a nice surprise from Richard Linklater and Jack Black – the same team that created the hit comedy “The School of Rock” in 2003; now they’ve reunited to create a different kind of comedy – a dark comedy. Black plays differently in this film – more restrained, more focused and at times more intense than in any film he’s appeared in before. His humor here is restrained and not physical, a feat accomplished by his engaging performance. Here’s a guy who’s loved by everyone – who has to be loved by everyone and can never say no. It’s an interesting and challenging role for him, but he handles it brilliantly – perhaps paving the way for more challenging and dramatic roles in the future. Compared to other comedic actors who have tried more serious roles, he’s not yet as good as, say, Jim Carrey in “The Truman Show” or Adam Sandler in “Punch-Drunk Love” – but he’s on the right track. Shirley MacLaine is also very different here – she’s had a sweet, slightly sassy personality in many of her recent films, but in this film there’s a cold, demeaning aura about her, and her steely eyes sell it. Matthew McConaughey has certainly upped his game as a ruthless prosecutor – just watch the courtroom scenes, I really appreciate the small-town setting of the film. The film is told through “interviews” with friendly small-town residents, which gives the film a quirky, warm atmosphere, while Linklater seamlessly weaves narrative flashbacks throughout – which brings me to the editing. The film moves at a brisk pace and never feels rushed or drawn out. The above-average script has just enough screen time to establish the story and characters, especially Bernie. Just when you think the film is coming to an end, something interesting always happens to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Black and Linklater are a good promising actor-director duo. Perhaps Linklater will be the key to discovering Black’s acting potential. Of course, this is still a “small” film – low budget and almost no promotion… so I hope word gets out about how good this dark comedy is. P.S. I didn’t know this film was based on a true story. This made the movie even darker and weirder than expected. Overall Rating: 77%