Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Michael Ledo This is a movie based on a true story. What is unfortunate is that the DVD cover write up assumes that you are familiar with the story and explains the entire plot. Bernie (Jack Black) is a nice guy who hangs wallpaper, does tax returns, directs the choir, directs plays, does needlepoint and makes curtains. He is also the town's assistant funeral director...one that doesn't hang out with girls.Bernie befriends Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine) a rich mean woman hated by the town and her own family. The movie is done similar to "Broadway Danny Rose" in that part of it is a mock docu-drama with some funny locals. Jack Black does not come across as someone from East Texas. I doubted the sincerity of Bernie because they tried to make him a little too cute and humorous. That said, it did make the film more entertaining which is what counts in the long run.There were very few laugh out loud moments, but many moments that made me smile. The trial at the end of the film was far too short and a missed opportunity for some comedic moments. The film is witty and entertaining. For those of you with poor eyesight, that is Matthew McConaughey on the poorly designed DVD cover and not Chevy Chase.Parental Guide: 1 F-Bomb that I recall, no sex or nudity.

rzajac I know I'm not supposed to like a flick like this because it's got all the wrong things; interviews, way too much exposition, an operatic style (simple story, drawn out to feature-length), ...and so much more.But it's such an obvious labor of love. And... What a story! It's very simple, and the moral is a direct one: Every last mother-loving one of us has within us the potential to act out that which Bernie did.Of course, there's a lot that the movie does very, very well. The most important thing, of course, is how the setup for the critical moment is cleverly designed and paced to drive home the all-important moral.Everything beyond that is icing on a strange and wonderful cake. The flick is witty and rollicking and fun. It showcases the southern, "hick" language, style, and mentality, while simultaneously humbling us by reminding us of what can be easily forgotten; that deep humanity is the heritage of all God's human creations, regardless of culture and background.I was recently reading about the film composer Nino Rota, and recalled the words of Fellini, when asked about him: "He's an angel of music". Well, Black's performance was nothing short of angelic, and I suspect that Linklater felt toward Black as Fellini did, working with Rota. This was a perfect vehicle for Black, showcasing his dancing/musical abilities, his comedic character chops and, amazingly, his ability to convincingly range into the serious drama of a deeply feeling man's moral crisis.It was great to see MacLaine here. After the shameful misuse of her in the execrable "Mitty", her fine performance in Bernie redeems her nicely.In short, a superb piece of aim-straight-for-the-heart filmic storytelling, and highly recommended.I almost never do this, but while I would normally rate this a '9' (meaning, "perfect, with minor remonstrances"), I'm marking it '10', in part to try to do my part to yank it up from the sub-'7' doldrums.All participants in this production should be very proud of their fine work.

MattyGibbs A mortician strikes up a friendship with a rich controlling businesswoman that doesn't have good consequences. The film is told like a documentary with interviews with people who knew the pair along with flashbacks to stages in their relationship. It's an interesting format and one that works well. The story flows well and holds your attention throughout. This is a good example of a black comedy that really works with a sparkling and very witty script with lots of well observed and funny moments but also some good dark drama. It features a strong cast with Jack Black as a popular mortician.The stand out performance for me was by Matthew McConaughey as the charismatic cop trying to put Black behind bars. Bernie is one of those films that you watch with low expectations but which surprises you with how good it is. It deserves a much higher rating than it's current 6.8 (36,466 votes). Highly recommended.

Matthew Luke Brady Churchgoer: "Ms. Nugent is in a deep freezer headed for Dallas!" The story is about Bernie Tiede was one of the town's most beloved residents. He taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone loved and appreciated Bernie, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent, an affluent widow who was as well known for her sour attitude as her fortune. Bernie frequently traveled with Marjorie and even managed her banking affairs. Marjorie quickly became fully dependent on Bernie and his generosity and Bernie struggled to meet her increasing demands.2011 was the year for Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey and the director Richard Linklater, because this movie was beautifully directed and acted.Bernie is a entertaining dark comedy with a sweet side to it. The main character of this movie (Bernie) well he has be the most interesting and most likable person of the face of earth, even the fact that he killed a mean and despicable old women, I still cared for him and I got to give respect to the writers and the director to care about a killer. Matthew McConaughey had the biggest come back in 2011 with The Lincoln Lawyer, Killer Joe and now this movie which he was brilliant in. McConaughey always has that charm and know it all in every role in see him in today, and that what makes him a brilliant actor.Jack Black gives a heartbreaking and spellbinding performance as the sweet killer. It's good to see Jack Black doing roles were he can poof that he is a great actor and in this movie he shines and gives it his all.The movie does have it's slow parts and some of the short interviews of the town people can be a little bit uninteresting. But overall Bernie is a terrific and fantastic movie with brilliant writing and directing.