Bernie

This is a review that I had planned on having up on Friday, but other tasks and goals conspired against me and before I knew it the time was 2:30am and it seemed more advisable to get some sleep than to push out a sleep deprived review of a great film.  The movie is Bernie, a film directed by Richard Linklater, and it is a dark comedy that also strives to add some depth to it by making a social commentary around the perception of people and the acts that they do.

Let me take a moment away from talking about the movie to speak of my adoration for Linklater.  As far as great directors go, he is one that most people may never have heard of before, which is a great shame due to his ability to capture the essence of characters and great authentic and intimate scenes that ring true to the growth of the human experience.  He was able to take a ‘stoner movie’ in Dazed and Confused and spin a tale of phases of life, motivation, and the journey.  With perhaps twenty or more characters you meet in the film we are given a sense of understanding as to who they are, an accomplishment that is remarkable seeing as how many movies fail to do that with even their main character.  I could go on and on about him, but perhaps I shall turn my attention to the film at hand.

Bernie (which is based on a true story) follows a small town mortician named Bernie Tiede (Jack Black), a man who wins the hearts of the residents of Carthage, Texas once he arrives to work in the local funeral home.  He quickly shows his ability to not only excel at his job, but also his desire to strengthen the community through his continuous efforts in everything from assisting in the local church to helping the theatre group rise to new heights.  Bernie soon befriends Marjorie (Shirley MacLaine), a horrifically bitter and alienating women of financial excess after her husband dies.  The relationship soon faces tension as she begins to become dominating of Bernie’s life, suffocating him with her demands to the point of making the gentlest man on the earth break and take her life.

The film is done in a bit of a mockumentary style, with interviews of the locals of Carthage talking about both their town and Bernie.  This choice really plays well with the story as it is able to evoke the down to earth atmosphere, and sometimes miss-guided gossip, that circles around such communities.  It had a feel very similar to Christopher Guest’s Waiting for Guffman, a full on mockumentary around an individual who has appeared in a proud small town.  There is so much glee and laughter to be had in these snippets that are given to us, with the actors fitting into their roles appropriately, both in physical appearance and line delivery.

While the faces of the townsfolk bolster the story, the leads turn in performances that rise to the level of the script.  Jack Black’s portrayal of Bernie is one that is able to give a sense of genuine sincerity, compassion, naivety, as well as being very unique in a way that breeds humourous moments thanks to his appearance, and subtle, small voice.  Jack Black is usually known for being a silly man, and I won’t try to defend that perception as his choice of roles does allow him to be pegged in that category.  However, it is important to note that behind this singing comedian is a true actor who just does not seem to come out near enough.  It was in Shallow Hal (believe it or not) that in a moment I saw something in him that told me there was untapped talent that needed to be birthed.  Bring on more opportunities for Black, I say!

Sitting opposite, constantly chewing her food with an absent look that burrows into your soul and exudes her personal disappointment in you is Shirley MacLaine.  She really is a terrific old bitch in this film.  Her character is such that while everyone in the community absolutely despises her there are opportunities for us to see the true humanity that lies below the socially destructive exterior.  MacLaine makes the softer side of Marjorie appear to be a natural state that is hidden by her defense mechanism of putting up walls to keep the world out.

The third main player in this film is local District Attorney, Danny Buck (Matthew MCConaughey).  A man who loves the limelight and plays the media, Buck is an energetic man of the legal system who does have a hope of seeing justice properly served.  If there was ever a wrestler gimmick of a DA, Danny Buck would be the man to do it, because he cuts a promo well, something that he has used to keep his job secure.  Buck’s gun slinging verbiage comes up against the task of trying Bernie in court after the death of Marjorie, and finding the tension that exists in the people of Carthage who either refuse to believe that Bernie did the crime or think that Bernie is just too nice to convict.

And this is an underlying theme in the film, as perception of the killer leads to an improper perception of the crime.  Linklater creates a dance around this concept by allowing the voicing of the townspeople to be heard to the audience through the mockumentary interviews, to the point that the viewer may start looking at justice a little differently.  It is pushed back on by Buck’s comments and statements, which can begin to pull the audience over to his point of view.  In essence, the viewer becomes the jury, bouncing around from different points of view over a crime that has so much evidence that there really needs to be no trial at all.  Just as easily as public opinion could overlook a crime such as Bernie’s due to his personality, it is so often the reverse, where we instantly want to see the full strength of the law fall on someone who has committed such heinous crimes.  

When a film is able to cross the lines of being comedic with having a true message that is not forced or heavy handed, it can be a wonderful experience.  The majority of the laughter in the film takes place in the first half of the movie before it begins to explore the themes.  One movie which I reviewed, It’s a Disaster, was frontloaded in terms of the comedy as well, but as it moved forward in its change of pace it felt like it forgot the tone that had been established, and almost felt like the movie was broken into two.  Bernie is able to do such a thing, but it stays true to itself in the process and it stays as one coherent story.

What more can I say, other than the fact that Linklater continually proves to be a very dynamic director who captures people and communities with perfection.  It is almost as though he sees something and places an upside down bowl over it to contain it in its absolute reality.  What you get is a slice of entertainment that rings with authenticity, transporting the viewer to the subculture and lives of the tale.

Rating – 3.5 out of 4 stars