Bernie

     Bernie starring Jack Black, Mathew McConaughey, and Shirley MacLaine is loosely based on the true story of a small town mortician named Bernie Tiede who murdered a wealthy old woman.

     So, I went into this thinking Jack Black = funny.  That expectation ruined the movie for me.  It was not funny at all.  Maybe if you know that before hand you will enjoy it more, but I was totally disappointed. 

     Bernie is an almost obsessive compulsive man who takes great pride in his work as a mortician.  He's very personable, and gets along best with older people (probably because it is part of his job to comfort the closest of kin).  Black plays the part well, but it seems very unnatural for him, so the end result is an uncomfortable character.

     The movie starts with Bernie moving into a small town in Texas and taking over the old mortuary.  He almost instantly ingratiates himself into the community through several out-reach programs and acts of service.  He especially tries to get in with the old ladies in the town, and brings them meals, does service for, and befriends most of them.  There is one old lady, however, who will not allow him in.  Marjorie is the town scrooge.  Even after several attempts at cultivating a friendship, Bernie is unable to crack the wealthy old ladies stone-cold barrier.  This only prompts Bernie to try harder.  Eventually he wins her over, and she reluctantly lets him in.

     The two become than just friends, and she begins to take him on extravagant vacations and trips.  The friendship comes at a cost, though, and Marjorie begins to be possessive of Bernie.  Her cantankerous attitude resurfaces, and because of Bernie's giving nature he allows her to take more and more of his time.  He begins to be frustrated with their relationship because it is consuming almost all of his time.

     Eventually the pressure comes to a head, and in a fit of frustration Bernie shoots Marjorie to death.  He instantly feels guilty and cannot believe his own actions.  He hides her body in a freezer to preserve it because of his obsessive compulsive disorder, and goes about his life.  He decides to use her money for good for a change, and that is what draws the attention of her accountant.  Eventually the body is found, and the police arrest Bernie.

     The story turns strange when the district attorney, played by McConaughey, tries to gather evidence to prosecute.  The townspeople are up in arms against him because they do not believe Bernie could be guilty.  They disliked Marjorie so much that they believed she probably deserved it.  The whole thing causes the D.A. to request the case be moved out of the county so that Bernie will get a fair trial, but the circumstances are complete opposite than those of a case which is normally moved out of area because of biased jury members.  The people are on the side of the defendant instead of believing he is guilty before hearing the evidence.  I guess this was why the case drew enough attention to inspire a movie.

     I don't know how much of this movie is fact, and how much is the director taking liberties, but the whole thing was weird.  You can feel Bernie's frustration with Marjorie, and you can almost see why he killed her.  He made it seem almost as if it were a daydream.  But this daydream actually happened and had fatal consequences.  

     If you aren't looking for comedy you might like the movie.  I didn't particularly like it because Jack Black was a horrible fit for Bernie.  The role was uncomfortable, and it almost seemed like Black was struggling to keep the crazy inside through the whole film.  His goofy, tight-lipped smile ruined the character.  The other actors were great, and the story was pretty good.  Some comedians just can't do serious.

     In all, I would give the film

Mud

     Mud is one of the few Indie films with a rating.  It's PG-13.

     I usually really like Mathew McConaughey, but I felt that the plot in this movie was way to dull for even him to liven it up.  The movie started slow, the middle was slow, the climax fell flat, and the ending was disappointing.

     Two poor Mississippi boys, Ellis and Neckbone, find a boat and steal an engine to drive it out to a deserted island.  The action seems like real life.  As a kid I remember doing a lot of dumb things which I thought were amazing because I was just discovering the world around me.  So in that regard, I think that Jeff Nichols, the director, did a good job.  There was nothing magical, nothing unlikely or out of the norm in the film.  Just a couple of kids having what any young boy would consider an adventure. 

     There is some conflict because the two boys come from pretty sad backgrounds.  Ellis has parents who are always fighting, and will likely separate, and Neckbone lives with his brain-dead uncle who spends his time diving for oysters.  Neither of the boys really have a parental figure looking out for them, so the catalyst for them wanting to leave their lives and explore the world is relevant.  

     They get a boat and head out to the deserted island to explore.  They find another boat lodged high up in a tree, a subject which baffles the boys, but drives them to explore.  They decide to make the boat their new "fort".  Upon returning to the island, they find that it is already inhabited by a man called simply Mud.  The boys are instantly fascinated with him, and he feeds their curiosity with wild stories.  There are also myths about him floating around town.

     The boys feed Mud, and make repeated trips to the island.  As it turns out, Mud is wanted by the law.  He came back to their little town to retrieve his old girlfriend who got him in trouble with the law to begin with.  The magic around the mysterious Mud is peeled away, and he is revealed a lovesick, desperate man who would do anything for his love.  

     The boys are eventually followed and a stand-off between Mud and a begrudged bounty hunter who isn't on the up-and-up ensues.  The climax is fairly disappointing, however.

     I think Mud had some potential, but the realism of the situation, and cheesy acting from the two boys, made the film boring.  It's hard to criticize it though because the set-up and lack of actual action is due to the fact that the story is closer to real life than a film.

     The film was boring, but I would still have to give it 3 stars because Mr. Nichols didn't romanticize a true adolescent story of adventure.