Director Richard Linklater is known for making films whose production and style have pushed the boundary in terms of the filmmaking process. His first film Slacker was the day in the life of a city, choosing not to focus on any story or characters. His latest film Boyhood was a triumph that took twelve years to make. However, this gem from 2011 is undoubtedly his best film.Bernie Tiede (Jack Black) is the local assistant funeral director in the town of Carthage, Texas. He is extremely well liked by the whole community and tries his best to please everyone. After the death of her husband, Bernie meets Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), who is despised by everyone in the town for her horrible demeanour. But Bernie takes a liking to Majrorie, although she begins to get under his skin too, and he murders her. After a while District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson (Matthew McConaughey) begins to suspect foul play and looks into Marjorie's disappearance.
What makes this movie so striking is the style in which it is delivered. The film is set up as mockumentary with interviews from the townfolk about the relationship between Bernie and Marjorie. This makes the movie fun and lighthearted as they each give their two cents. That is until you learn that this movie is not at all a fictional story, but is indeed based on the true muder of Nugent in 1996 at the hands of Tiede. And some of the townsfolk being interviewed in the film are actual townsfolk who knew the couple. This then turns the film into quite a black tragicomedy, as these people aren't talking about the Jack Black/Shirley MacLaine versions of the characters but the actual people who existed.
The reason that this movie is so funny instead of being an extremely sad and sobering film is due to Jack Black's extremely understated performance. This isn't his stereotypical stoner that we've seen throughout the majority of his career (High Fidelity, School of Rock, Tenacious D), but a rather downplayed, incredibly effeminate man. The laughs come more from Black's incredibly different performance than what we are used to.
Shirley MacLaine's Nugent is a truly horrible person, but somehow I couldn't help liking her at some parts of this film, but maybe that's just because I am a fan of her regardless. Matthew McConaughey is hilarious as the cowboy DA and I feel like it is his character Wooderson from Dazed & Confused grew up and sorted out his life (this would actually really work as a fan theory because the timelines and locations match up perfectly). The supporting cast of Brady Coleman, Richard Robichaux and Rick Dial give the film authenticity. Also McConaughey's mum Kay has a splendid little role and you surely won't miss her.
This movie is a tight little package that is quite fun and refreshing and I'm sure would have been a fun little project for Linklater in between his bigger ones. The closing video of Jack Black talking to and being enthralled by the real Tiede is a fantastic little touch.
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