MEOW!
Bernie could very well be a modern-day backstory to Les Miserables, which is, ironically, referenced during a court hearing near the end of the film. The crime our hero commits, however, is accidentally shooting a woman (Shirley MacLaine) four times in the back. Still, like Jean Valjean, Bernie Tiede (absolutely wonderful performance from Jack Black) seems to be a man of good intentions. And like Javert, D.A. Danny Buck Davidson (Matthew McConaughey--mom seems to be proud of that casting choice) strongly believes that everyone should respect the law, no matter how corrupt that it may seem to be. Bernie is another terrific film from Richard Linklater, the director of School of Rock, and the under-appreciated remake of Bad News Bears. Inspired by true events (yes, the body was buried in the freezer), this film cleverly mixes real-life documented interviews with those who had known or had heard about Bernie, and the dramatized (and funny) interpretations that presented Bernie's adventures and mishaps. It also delivers a refreshingly honest message: even though you have committed a crime, and you could easily go to jail, that doesn't mean you are a monster; you are still a human being, and you have to ability to change yourself and others for the better, whether you're behind bars or not. This is one of the most unexpectedly impressive gems of the year, and one that I hope more people discover soon. {NOTE: It's on Netflix instant que right now. If you have an account there, go for it!}
The first act of Django Unchained is a lot of fun, while the last two acts are boring, pointless, sickening and almost tortuous, both in a mental and physical sense. What went wrong? Well, let's start off with what went right, first. There's one scene involving people wearing masks that complain about not seeing too well; that...was comic gold. Christoph Waltz is also a lot of fun as Dr. King Schultz, who seems very comfortable of bringing a black man into an all-too-caucasian town. It's when we are introduced to Leonardo DiCaprio's character named Calvin Candie (He lives on a plantation called Candie-land. I slap people's knees for a quick buck.) that the film starts to go downhill, despite having Samuel L. Jackson's character--in very effective make-up, I might add--entertaining us for a little bit. The third act...good freakin' grief, I just wanted it to end. Too much dialogue. Too many acts of violence. Too many migranes in just one act of a film. It was just too much of everything; it loses the charm that the wonderful first act had, and it becomes a chore to sit through. I admire some of Quentin Tarantino's work ("That IS a tasty burger!"), and I don't hate anybody involved with this film, but you would honestly have to pay me to sit through this film again, even if it was seen at some traditional party in a college dorm. Skip Django; see Rango.
Oh, and Weinsteins: you lose this round. That's OK; have a tasty burger!
Until next time,
MEOW!
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