Select language, opens an overlay

Comment

Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Pima County Public Library.
Jun 24, 2017Nursebob rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Based on a true story written up by journalist Skip Hollandsworth, director Richard Linklater’s darkly comic satire of skewed small town values takes a deceptively lighthearted stance on Tiede’s crime. As played by Jack Black, Bernie is a soft-spoken dandy with a weak spot for sob stories who only wants to make people happy. Marjorie on the other hand (Shirley MacLaine at her bitchy best) was a devil in blue rinse who delighted in hurting others and shunned any form of human contact. Riding him like a nazi foreman Nugent made Bernie’s life so unbearable that he had no recourse but to grab the nearest rifle and then cover his tracks as best he could. But as we find ourselves joining the townsfolk in patting Bernie on the back and tut-tutting the mean old prosecuting attorney (Matthew McConaughey all cowboy hats and Texas drawl) you can almost sense Linklater smirking up his sleeve. And just in case he didn’t make his point clear enough he throws in a bunch of colourful ad-libbed interviews with locals who are only too eager to extol the virtues of the charming young man who just happened to shoot an old woman in the back four times. Wink wink!