Bernie (2011)

Bernie

• Dare I say this is Jack Black’s best performance? At least from the ones I’ve seen, this is easily his most comedic and authentic. He felt so natural in this kind of role, and what’s nice is that it’s absolutely hilarious, but not at all overdone. It’s not in your face funny, it’s naturally funny. Of course, Ignacio (El Nacho) is probably my favorite role of his, but this is his best. The film is actually based on a true story, but with a dark comedic spin. I get how that could be insensitive to the family members of Marjorie Nugent, but you know what, comedy is comedy, and is very subjective. And I found this hilarious. Much like Black’s performance, the film has a perfect blend of comedy and seriousness. It’s just enough to make you laugh and enjoy the characters, but is also plenty dramatic and has its moments. Richard Linklater does a great job with this, and I’m having fun slowly becoming more familiar with his filmography. I’m only four films in, but so far, I’ve enjoyed them all. Story-wise, as I said, it’s based on true events, and does a good job of portraying Black’s character, Bernie Tiede. You spend lots of time growing close to him, and then after “it” happens, you have to make a choice to root for him or not. I can also relate to it in terms of the gospel church setting, which is what I grew up around. Especially all the scenes with the hymns. Those brought back some interesting memories. Anyways, the whole supporting cast was great, though it would’ve been nice to see more from Matthew McConaughey. It was also cool to see people who actually knew the real Bernie make comments and help tell the story. I love how this film was done in a documentary style, while still feeling like a regular production. That will make sense if you’ve seen this. Overall, this film was very solid, and it’s one I can easily come back to. I’d recommend it to all dark comedy fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!