Review of "Bernie"

Oh death. My favorite subject in all of the world. Whether it's a philosophical argument, an art installation or a film, I'm down, balls to the wall. Jack Black's new, and surprisingly serious role as the village-loved mortician, Bernie, is an impressive feat for the comedian. Not only does the film tackle a solemn and contentious story of murder and friendship, but it also straddles the line between fictional storytelling and documentary filmmaking. I've never seen dramatic reenactments quite like this.

Bernie follows the story of a fluffy and lovable mortician in a little village in East Texas. The man seems a saint: leading the church choir and bringing gifts to the local widowers all while attending to his passion, the care and preparing of bodies for funeral services. Bernie becomes quite the elderly ladies' man, until he encounters an obstacle: the very wealthy and recently widowed Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine). Marjorie is a very unpleasant woman who only recognizes the misery in life. Somehow Bernie shows her the brighter side of life and the two embark on leisurely vacations around the world. Eventually, the keen friendship turns into a possessive pet and master relationship, with Marjorie holding the leash. As nature has it, the beloved mongrel turns on his mistress, and Bernie murders his former friend. The rest of the film depicts how Bernie attempts to cover up the murder as well as his eventual arrest and trial.

Bernie
Starring: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey
Directed by Richard Linklater
My Opinion: Worth the watch, but the experience
will differ for everyone.

The comedy in Bernie is specifically tongue in cheek. The laughter seems like it should come from the loud and stylized characters so excellently executed by Shirley MacLaine and Jack Black, however their pairing as a couple is tragic. One cannot dismiss that this story is true and the events, emotions and people are grim instead of comedic. Matthew McConaughey's portrayal of the local district attorney, Danny Buck Davidson, provides some relief, however, the tale hits the heart instead of the gut.

Of course since the story is based on a true event, I'm sure some details were exaggerated and others omitted (although the Wikipedia page begs to differ, claiming the film depicts the story "pretty much how it happened.") I know some critics took issue with the lack of comedy in the film, but I think that the few scattered and subtle laughs were appropriate for the content. I'm not sure how comfortable I'd feel if I were made to laugh hysterically at such a serious matter. I also don't feel that the reportorial style of the film takes away from the entertainment value, but rather provides a tone of realism. Bernie takes us into the depths of the hurricane of swirling human emotion that is involved in a crime of passion story. It's a psychological portrait of desperate people and the actual village that knew them.