Review of Bernie (2012) by Seth S — 24 Dec 2013

We all love a good true story. Preferably, the closer the factual story seems to fiction, the better. And with Bernie, we get a pretty unbelievable true story. Thankfully, the tale is told so tastefully, so humorously, and with such restrained emotions; it doesn't feel fake at all. Taken at face value, the movie is interesting and entertaining enough all the way through. But the original filmmaking is what propels Bernie over other well made true stories.

Carthage is the picture postcard of small town Texas. Enter Bernie Tiede, a flamboyant, friendly, kind, and caring assistant funeral director. He is instantly loved by the community. Not only is he very good at his job, caring for families who just lost loved ones, but he is also an active member of the community. After the death of her husband, Bernie goes to work on cheering up the bitter and mean Marge Nugent. Marge is now running the company her husband left to her, a company that has made her a millionaire. Over time, Bernie and Marge become inseparable. Unfortunately, Bernie begins to feel smothered with Marge's constant nagging. In an out-of-body moment, sweet and caring Bernie shoots Mrs. Nugent four times in the back. It's only a matter of time before Bernie is found out, but does the popular Bernie deserve to be punished for killing the very unpopular Mrs. Nugent?

Sure the story is very good, but the way that it's told is even better. Throughout the movie, director Richard Linklater cuts in interviews with the Carthage townspeople. So the audience gets to hear the town gossip all through the movie. And thanks to a bunch of fun extras playing the town members, the interviews work incredibly well. I guess this makes the movie a mockumentary. At first I thought they were just going to use these interviews to get the movie rolling, but Linklater sticks with it all the way to the end. I loved how fresh and original this way of storytelling felt. Trust me, you'll enjoy it!

Let's be honest, Jack Black isn't exactly the model of restraint. One doesn't immediately associate Black with playing a mild, gospel singing mortician in a dark comedy. But he is absolutely brilliant! I would recommend this movie on Black's performance alone. Don't take my word for it, if you haven't seen this movie, please do. Believe it or not, Jack Black will blow you away with some of the dramatic material. The scene where he shoots Marge is so well acted. We totally understand his desire to do this horrible act, and we understand how surreal it is for him when he actually does it. It goes without saying that this is easily the best performance I have seen from Jack Black.

Matthew McConaughey is not stretching himself at all in the role of Danny Buck Davidson, the local district attorney. McConaughey can play a Southern lawyer with his eyes closed, but that doesn't make him any less excellent in the part. He probably has the funniest lines in the movie, and the funniest delivery of any of the actors. There's one especially comical scene where Danny Buck hypothesizes whether Bernie is gay or not, based in part on the fact that he wears his pants "above the navel.".

The only slip up in the entire cast is Shirley MacLaine as Marge Nugent. Now, don't misunderstand, I don't in any way think Shirley MacLaine is a bad actress. Far from it. I mean, my gosh, she's been doing this for over 55 years. I really haven't had much exposure to MacLaine's career other than The Apartment. She was amazing in that 53 years ago, but here she isn't given enough time to develop her character. I guess given the script, this is exactly what the performance needs to be. But it still felt off.

And supporting these performances are the townspeople of Carthage. The groups of extras used for the interviews all do fantastic jobs playing real people. Look for Matthew McConaughey's mother Kay as one of the townspeople.

And through all the dark comedy and drama and great performances, there is a moral question raised in Bernie: Is murder an absolute wrong? In this case, Bernie essentially committed Voluntary Manslaughter. But Mrs. Nugent was a mean old hag, and Bernie was just a sweet guy who was pushed over the edge. Was it wrong to sentence Bernie to decades in jail? I mean, the townspeople still loved him. It's definitely an interesting issue. In my case, I find myself on the side of Danny Buck. Bernie killed a woman, he did it without reason, and he hid the crime for nine months. While I don't think Bernie Tiede is a coldblooded murder (based on his portrayal here), I do think he deserved to pay for his crime.

Bernie is not the type of movie that will change your life. I'm sure it has flown under the radar of many a moviegoer. Honestly, I wouldn't have watched it either if it hadn't been for a friend's recommendation. But I'm glad I took that recommendation to heart, because if I didn't, I would have missed out on a really charming, entertaining, engrossing, and well made movie.

"You cannot have grief tragically becoming a comedy." 8/10.