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Director: Richard Linklater
One massive piece of advice before watching Bernie. DO NOT read the IMDB or Netflix synopsis before watching. I am not usually spoiler crazy, what they spoil however is the entire point of the movie and doesn't transpire till a solid 40 minutes in. Bernie (Black) is an interesting character. He is an eternally positive individual despite working in a funeral parlor. He is an expert at consoling people through their grief, especially older women. When he befriends a rich widow (MacLaine) who no one else in town can stand the company of, people begin to talk and speculate.
Bernie is based on a true story and Linklater decides to tell the story documentary style which I think works to great effect here. The people of the small Texas town are givng us perspective on Bernie and his story directly to the camera. They are mostly older people who have lived in this small rural Texas town their whole life so they certainly fit some stereotypes. At no point however did I feel as if Linklater was placing judgement on these characters which makes their weaknesses bearable to watch. Bernie himself is beloved by most everyone in town and it is easy to see why. he is a giving and caring individual who seems to know the right thing to say to everyone he comes in contact with. Bernie is not the type of individual you would want to go get a beer with, but he certainly would be hard to dislike.
The acting and storytelling are the highlights of Bernie. McConaughey is very good in his smaller but entertaining role. MacLaine also does a nice job although I don't feel that her character is very hard to capture. As corny as it may sound the role of Bernie seems to be the one that Black was born to play. The quirky mannerisms and the singing are right up Black's alley. He is perfect in this role, and is definitely the best of his career thus far.
Everything in the final half of Bernie is off limits to talk about as far as I am concerned. The movie takes us to some places where I didn't expect it to go even after reading the synopsis. Bernie is not a perfect film but it is a memorable and entertaining one.
Director: Richard Linklater
One massive piece of advice before watching Bernie. DO NOT read the IMDB or Netflix synopsis before watching. I am not usually spoiler crazy, what they spoil however is the entire point of the movie and doesn't transpire till a solid 40 minutes in. Bernie (Black) is an interesting character. He is an eternally positive individual despite working in a funeral parlor. He is an expert at consoling people through their grief, especially older women. When he befriends a rich widow (MacLaine) who no one else in town can stand the company of, people begin to talk and speculate.
Bernie is based on a true story and Linklater decides to tell the story documentary style which I think works to great effect here. The people of the small Texas town are givng us perspective on Bernie and his story directly to the camera. They are mostly older people who have lived in this small rural Texas town their whole life so they certainly fit some stereotypes. At no point however did I feel as if Linklater was placing judgement on these characters which makes their weaknesses bearable to watch. Bernie himself is beloved by most everyone in town and it is easy to see why. he is a giving and caring individual who seems to know the right thing to say to everyone he comes in contact with. Bernie is not the type of individual you would want to go get a beer with, but he certainly would be hard to dislike.
The acting and storytelling are the highlights of Bernie. McConaughey is very good in his smaller but entertaining role. MacLaine also does a nice job although I don't feel that her character is very hard to capture. As corny as it may sound the role of Bernie seems to be the one that Black was born to play. The quirky mannerisms and the singing are right up Black's alley. He is perfect in this role, and is definitely the best of his career thus far.
Everything in the final half of Bernie is off limits to talk about as far as I am concerned. The movie takes us to some places where I didn't expect it to go even after reading the synopsis. Bernie is not a perfect film but it is a memorable and entertaining one.