Bernie

This week we saw Bernie, an offbeat, amusing and dark comedy, based on a true story about a sexually ambiguous (well, maybe not that ambiguous) assistant funeral director in East Texas who is currently serving a life term in a Texas prison for the murder of an 81-year old millionaire widow.  Sure sounds like a knee-slapper doesn't it!   Well, it's not a knee-slapper but its not exactly a tragic epic either.

How could it be when Jack Black stars as Bernie Tiede, the funeral director?  Black plays it pretty restrained in the role (at least by Jack Black standards except for his performance of 76 Trombones from The Music Man).  The real Bernie Tiede makes a cameo, from prison, in the film.

The widow is played by Shirley MacLaine who makes you understand why Bernie did the evil deed.  The biggest surprise for me was the performance of Matthew McConaughey, an actor I don't particularly like, who is just terrific playing the District Attorney - I didn't even recognize him in his first few minutes onscreen.

Don't worry that this discussion of the plot line is giving much away since the pleasure in this movie is how it gets where it's going.

Another unusual element is the use of interviews with residents of Carthage, Texas throughout the film.  These are the folks were really knew Bernie Tiede and Majorie Nugent (the widow) and without them the film would not amount to much.  Bernie was a beloved part of the Carthage community and that whole murder thing created a bit of an uproar and they have no hesitation giving their views. 

You also need to stick around for all the closing credits so you can figure out who is an actor and who is a Carthage local and to see all the other added bonus surprises and musical ditties.

The movie is directed by Richard Linklater who also did Dazed and Confused, Fast Food Nation and School of Rock.