BERNIE 3.0****




In this movie Jack Black plays Bernie Tiede, a friendly and effeminate mortician in the small town of Carthage, Texas, who is loved by many of his fellow citizens of the community. He's loved because he's friendly to everyone around him. One day, he meets a wealthy widow, Marjorie Nugent (a great Shirley MacLaine). This character is the complete opposite of Bernie in terms of likability. She's so hated by many people in the town that no one even bothers to speak her. Throughout the years, she's had no close family members or friends and lives alone by herself in a mansion. Bernie though believes that there is a good side to her. Bernie uses his warm heart to find the time to visit her and keeps her company. Eventually, they become close friends and he's living the life that many dream. As times goes by, Marjorie shows her true colors to Bernie and she myteriously goes missing. As it turns out, this is a true story and apparently the movie gets it right.
There are some really hilarious scenes and one in particular where a local resident of Texas explains to the audience the different parts of Texas. This person is actually one of many of the local non-actor people interviewed throughout the movie. This is a clever plot device that is often quite effective as it is here.
Jack Black acts different in this movie from any that he’s been in before. - more restraint, more focused, and at times more intense.. His humor here is low-key and not physical. Here is a guy who is loved by everyone - who must be loved by everyone, and who can never say no. It is both an interesting and challenging role for him but he pulls it off in a great way.

Shirley MacLaine is also very different here – she usually ha had a sweet, somewhat cheeky personality in her previous films of late. But for this movie there's a cold, demeaning aura around her, and her steely eyes sell it. Matthew McConaughey as the ruthless district attorney has certainly improved in his acting range - just check out the courtroom scenes.

I really appreciate the small-town setting of the film. The film is told by ''interviews'' with the friendly small-town folk, giving a quirky and homely feel to the film, . The film moves at a strong clip but never feels rushed nor draggy. The screenplay has balances just the right amount of screen- time to establish the story and characters, notably Bernie. Just when you think the film is about to end - there's always another interesting thing happening that keeps the audience glued.

The movie is an entertaining movie to watch. It's Texas based movie that has a dark and sharp sense of humor. If you can find it near you, you should check it out.

Clark