Richard Linklater's account of a real-life small-town murder has a winning mix of comedy and social observation
A native of east Texas whose first film was set in the state capital Austin, where he still works, Richard Linklater has long been fascinated by a real-life murder set in the tight-knit east Texas township of Carthage. In 1996, a much loved local mortician, Bernie Tiede, noted for his generosity, thoughtfulness, work for the church, organisation of amateur dramatics, suddenly shot the town's mostly disliked figure, the rich, mean, cantankerous widow Marjorie Nugent. Was he in revolt against his dependency on her? After her money? Just a little mad?
It's a fascinating slice of bizarre Americana, and with the aid of Jack Black (cast against type as the prissy Bernie), Shirley MacLaine (in Steel Magnolia mode as loathsome Marjorie), Matthew McConaughey (as a good ole boy district attorney out to nail Bernie), and a chorus of what appear to be local folks, Linklater has turned it into an extremely amusing, socially accurate docudrama. British director of photography Dick Pope gives the proceedings a rosy, cosy Our Town glow.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/apr/28/bernie-review-jack-black-maclaine
No comments:
Post a Comment