O.K., so for those who really wanted to take a whack at Ouiser, the grouchy old Southern Lady who picked tomatoes and wore funny hats in "Steel Magnolias", here's your chance. Shirley MacLaine is back. No, she isn't that person who worships the quicksand the mayor's widow walked on, but an equally crabby old biddy whom everyone in her Texas town hates, and really isn't surprised about getting knocked off by her companion/lover Jack Black in this apparently true story. Told in documentary style, a la Woody Allen's "Zelig", this is a black comedy about a seemingly charming man who does everything he can for his community, and then some. Seemingly real people talk about Bernie and how he influenced their lives, brought musical theater to them (footage of "Guys and Dolls" and "The Music Man" are presented, with Black one of the chubbiest Harold Hill's I've ever seen!), and eventually did them a huge favor.

This won't be a film for everybody as it spoofs Texas society, breaking down all the different parts of the huge state, showing the beauty of the land, the home-spun humor, and the "Howdy, Partner!" attitudes usually associated with the home of George W. Bush. Perhaps that's the method behind the madness for the creation of this spoof, much like "Fargo" making light fun of the many different types and bringing in a bit of scandal that one usually associates with big cities. Black is certainly charming, yet something isn't quite right, so it isn't surprising when the murder occurs and MacLaine gets put on ice. For the most part, MacLaine simply just smirks or sneers, only showing the "Queen of Mean" side of this character a few times. There's no real proof given that she was anything more than just a cold bird, and certainly not one deserving of her fate.

Yet, there is something charming about it all, and it's like a bad car accident that you can't take your eyes off of. I must admit that this is almost like a Texas-set John Waters film, maybe even a continuation of "The Last Picture Show" just missing the survivors of that 1971 Peter Bogdanaovich classic. I know at some point down the road, I might even take a peak back at it again. Who knows? Anything's possible in Texas!

Richard Linklater directs a bizarre story based on real events in a mock documentary style.

The film is a dark comedy and its driven by Jack Black's performance as Bernie the mortician, a popular member of a small-town Texas community. Bernie befriends a wealthy, recently widowed Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine) a difficult, cold and manipulative woman.

Bernie and the widow quickly become inseparable, dining out, going on exotic holidays but she quickly gets to be needy and domineering leading Bernie to kill her and storing her body in a freezer.

Eventually Bernie's crimes are discovered and Matthew McConaughey is the DA intent on locking him up but discovers that the town-folk think Bernie is innocent.

McConaughey seems to be enjoying himself in a supporting role, Black brings pathos to his role and makes Bernie a complex and complicated character whilst hinting all the time a dark side to this otherwise charming man.

The real life events took place in the mid 1990s but in a bizarre twist since the films release, Bernie who was serving a life sentence has just been released on bail on the condition that he resides in the same house as Richard Linklater. I just hope Linklater has put a lock on his freezer!

I sat down to watch this film at 2am--assuming I'd just watch a little and then go to bed. However, I just couldn't stop watching. And, soon my wife joined me and she, too, stayed up WAY later than she planned. Why? Because this film is fascinating from start to finish and is truly unique. It's the true story of Bernie Tiede and his BIZARRE, and eventually fatal, relationship with Marjorie Nugent--a woman hated by just about everyone--and eventually by Bernie as well. Now here's the rub--despite Bernie having killed Marjorie, no one in the town seemed to really think this was a bad thing. After all, the folk thought that she WAS a horrible person and, if Bernie did do it, it couldn't have been THAT bad! After all, they reasoned, he's such a wonderful and nice guy.

Had this been all there was to the story, it really wouldn't have been that entertaining (though it would have been pretty bizarre). However, the filmmaker (Richard Linklater) constructed the film in such a wonderful way that the film cannot help but hook you. In a WEIRD move, he has many of the actual townsfolk interviewed and inserted throughout the film. A few were actually actors--most were just folks who loved Bernie and couldn't stand Marjorie and wanted to talk about it! And so, the film consists of these interviews as well as actors playing out the story--making it a documentary...of sorts. It also helped Linklater and the movie that the actors, particularly Jack Black, did a wonderful job. And, is helped that the writers (one of which was Linklater himself) did such a dandy job. In particular, I loved how the film got the sound of the Southern Bible Belt folks. I am VERY familiar with this region and the conversations they had made me laugh because they sounded so true--such as the women in the Bible study who were debating if Jesus turned the water into REAL ALCOHOLIC wine! I also adored the guy who described the various regions at the beginning of the film--priceless and VERY funny--especially when he was describing Austin!

So, how truthful is the film? Well, according to an article that my wife and I read by one of Marjorie's relatives, VERY true and very realistic. I was surprised that they didn't complain about how horrible she and the other family members seemed in the film! And, they, too, thought Bernie was a nice guy despite his having murdered Marjorie!

By the way, if you get a chance, you can read through Bernie Tiede's web blog--all the way from his prison cell! Surprisingly, it seems (according to the web pages) that he has a LOT of support for his release--including from Black and Linklater. Weird.

Overall, a brilliantly made and highly original film. I have no idea if the film will be nominated for any awards, but it should. Linklater and Black deserve some recognition for this movie.