Purely Joyful Movie!

Nice effects though.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I knew very little about this film prior to viewing aside from the 3 key actors. All give understated performances, pretty surprising for Jack Black. Both Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey are also kept under control in terms of dialogue. It is a very story focused film and the presentation is very well crafted. You are drawn in right from the start and are never quite sure where all this is leading to.It's a blend of film noir, interspersed with comedy, and drama. Entertainment in a quirky way. And surprisingly all based on a true story. Well worth watching. Reminded me of a good Coen brothers film – without the violence.

Jack Black is funny, he's charismatic, and from the charm he brings on screen; he's proved to be a respectable and entertaining actor. Whether he's strumming his guitar like a true rockstar, doing the voice of Po in Dreamwork's 'Kung Fu Panda', or just being the hilarious comedian he is, he rarely disappoints. This black comedy inspired by true events that made Texas headlines in 1996 however, is a step to a slightly different world with a mixed bag of both laughs and dark, morbid humor. Black steps on screen to demonstrate what is by far one of his most ingenious performances of his career, if not the most. Reuniting with director Richard Linklater after their first collaboration in the feel-good comedy 'School of Rock', Black portrays an average man with a heart of gold but was forced to battle his inner demons after one not-so-smart choice was made. The actor plays Berrnie Tiede, a mild-manner Gospel singer at a church choir and mortician in the small town of Carthage, Texas. The kind-hearted man is easily the most loved man in town, judging by the interviews by various residents given throughout the film; all the women adore him, everyone at his church speaks highly of him for everything he does them. The man is basically considered family everyone in town including the mean-spirited Marjorie Nugent (played by Shirley MacLaine), an old 80-year old who is the very opposite of what everyone calls kind. When Bernie befriends the old woman, she demonstrates cruel and sour demeanor that before too long, drives Bernie up the wall to the point where his actions lead to unexpected consequences.This isn't your average laugh-out-loud or hysterical Jack Black many fans are accustom to. Yes, there are some funny moments to be offered here but they're funny in a dark, morbid manner in what takes grim, tragic story and turns into a light-hearted fare. But what is a black comedy without a fair share of substance? Director Richard Linklater grants this picture with not only great smarts but a small pinch of inventiveness, presenting the story in a mockumentary style with minor characters and extras shown in interviews often describing the titular character or bad-mouthing Mrs. Nugent for her demeanor. The story as a whole is nothing short of wit and cleverness, and the script by Richard Linklater is thank for this. The film strives not for a intriguing narrative merit but also with an artistic style. It is beautifully shot with a production design that expresses a retro feel as the story is set in 1996. The makeup and hairstyling done on Jack Black to represent the ironic mortician is nice to look at and doesn't look cheesy one bit. Overall, the real gem of Jack Black's character is his darkly funny and sharp performance. Just a step away from his typical cheery character stereotype, Jack Black gives a charismatic portrayal in his role, and plays his character with both sincerity and charm. The same can almost be about Shirley MacLaine but with more cruelty and less humor as the sour apple of a lady. Matthew McConaughey also takes on the role of lawyer but with less screen time and in role that is not likely to be a memorable one his filmography.Bernie is a smart, ingenious dark comedy with both morbid humor and moody style but doesn't shine without the fantastic performance by the ever-likable Jack Black as the titular character. It is a sweet, stylish effort by director Richard Linklater, and can easily stand as one of the the Jack Black role to remember.

This film was very entertaining. Thanks mainly to the script and the acting. Jack Black continues to impress me with his acting skills. And this movie is no exception. I did not believe that it was a true story in the beginning but after they showed pictures at the end of the actual killer and his victim I did some research and got some more background information. It is very sad that somebody could behave in this way, but somethings in life will always amaze me.Watch it and see for yourself how people can behave irrational for a split second causing the effects to have ling term implications.I am sure you will like it and will find the story shocking, thanks to all the supporting casts portrayal of an interesting time.

I know I'm not supposed to like a flick like this because it's got all the wrong things; interviews, way too much exposition, an operatic style (simple story, drawn out to feature-length), ...and so much more.But it's such an obvious labor of love. And... What a story! It's very simple, and the moral is a direct one: Every last mother-loving one of us has within us the potential to act out that which Bernie did.Of course, there's a lot that the movie does very, very well. The most important thing, of course, is how the setup for the critical moment is cleverly designed and paced to drive home the all-important moral.Everything beyond that is icing on a strange and wonderful cake. The flick is witty and rollicking and fun. It showcases the southern, "hick" language, style, and mentality, while simultaneously humbling us by reminding us of what can be easily forgotten; that deep humanity is the heritage of all God's human creations, regardless of culture and background.I was recently reading about the film composer Nino Rota, and recalled the words of Fellini, when asked about him: "He's an angel of music". Well, Black's performance was nothing short of angelic, and I suspect that Linklater felt toward Black as Fellini did, working with Rota. This was a perfect vehicle for Black, showcasing his dancing/musical abilities, his comedic character chops and, amazingly, his ability to convincingly range into the serious drama of a deeply feeling man's moral crisis.It was great to see MacLaine here. After the shameful misuse of her in the execrable "Mitty", her fine performance in Bernie redeems her nicely.In short, a superb piece of aim-straight-for-the-heart filmic storytelling, and highly recommended.I almost never do this, but while I would normally rate this a '9' (meaning, "perfect, with minor remonstrances"), I'm marking it '10', in part to try to do my part to yank it up from the sub-'7' doldrums.All participants in this production should be very proud of their fine work.