Review of Bernie (2012) by Tommy 'See The Treasure' S — 03 May 2014

So one might consider basing a whimsical black comedy on a real-life(and pretty recent) murder case to be quite tasteless, but here director Richard Linklater gets away with it, with no small thanks due to a brilliant and subtle performance from funnyman Jack Black. Despite the morbid subject matter(an undertaker who commits a monstrous act), Bernie is wickedly entertaining and irresistibly funny.

Bernie(Jack Black) is a rather unconventional but altogether gentle and kind man, who is beloved by the townspeople for his generous spirit, sociable nature and professionalism as an undertaker. After assisting to the funeral of her brother, Bernie begins a slightly bizarre relationship with a rich woman named Marjorie Nugent(Shirley MacLaine), the most hated woman in Carthage, Texas. Despite the gossip of the neighbours, Bernie and Marjorie's relationship blossoms. Bernie becomes something of a confident to Marjorie, accompanying her to various lavish activities, and the odd couple enjoy a life of unlimited excess. Things take a turn for the worst, however, when Marjorie begins to take advantage of the gentle-natured Bernie, and to treat him more like a slave than a friend. Entirely stifled by the horrible situation(yet not so impolite as to abandon Marjorie) Bernie experiences a moment of madness that shocks the entire town.

Some may criticize this movie for exploiting a real-life tragedy for laughs, but I think such a criticism would be grossly unfair. True, the movie is hilarious, but that is mostly down to the genuine absurdity of the events and the comically incongruous pairing of Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine. Linklater's script never begs for laughs and Black gives an impressively muted comic performance. Ironically, a lot of the very funny moments of the movie stem from interview segments with actual residents of Carthage, recalling their impressions of Bernie and Marjorie.

The performances are all superb. Black gives the most powerful and measured performance of his career, and he and MacLaine play brilliantly off each other. In a minor role as a lawyer, Matthew McConaughy is effortlessly funny and entertaining. Including interviews with the residents of Carthage was an inspired decision from Linklater, and it adds a touch of authenticity and sincerity to proceedings.