Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Bernie is part dark comedy, part documentary and altogether oddly compelling. Jack Black does a fine job portraying Bernie Tiede, but I couldn't shake my previous impression of him from his other films. It was hard for me to trust him. And Matthew McConaughey doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the cast. The film is a little slow, but the story is pretty fascinating. You'll find yourself talking about this film after you've watched it.

Bernie is one of my favorite movies, and the best advice I can give is this: Don't watch the preview. The preview gives away the entire story—major spoilers! All you need to know is it's about a very charismatic mortician who moves to a small Texas town and bonds with a widow after conducting her husband's funeral. If you start to read anything more about the plot, stop reading! The movie is so fantastic, but you can only see it for the first time once. Don't spoil it.The acting in Bernie is incredible. I don't know what kind of anti-aging pill Shirley MacLaine is taking, but I want it! She looks fantastic, and her energy level is just as high as it was in her twenties. Matthew McConaughey gives a hilarious performance, and even people who normally can't stand him will think he does an excellent job (just ask my mom!). And Jack Black, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his turn in the title role, is phenomenal. The Academy Awards snubbed him, big time. He pours himself into the role, making Bernie human, charming, troubled, sweet, and endearing.Richard Linklater co-wrote and directed the film, and he guides the story with a very gentle hand. The main plot is spliced in with mock interviews, but Linklater doesn't make it feel like a documentary. He balances the very fine line between humor and drama, and unfolds the story to the audience in a truly perfect way.Do me and yourself a favor; buy Bernie. It's a movie you'll want to watch over and over and over.

Bernie Tiede (Jack Black) is an effeminate beloved skilled mortician who loves to sing. He arrives in the small town of Carthage in east Texas and befriends wealthy, hated widow Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine). They become inseparable. However after a couple of years, their relationship starts to fray. Marjorie's bitterness pushes Bernie over the edge and he shoots her in the back. For months after, Bernie is able to keep Marjorie's death a secret while using her wealth. Eventually her body is found in her freezer and D.A. Danny Buck Davidson (Matthew McConaughey) charges Bernie for murder. Despite his confession, many in Carthage continue to support Bernie in the murder of the hated Marjorie.The talking heads really get tiresome after awhile. It's an interesting film technique to introduce the story. However I need more time with just Bernie and Marjorie together. It's too bad because Jack Black is so invested in the role. It could have been an Oscar winning performance for him if the movie concentrated on him and Shirley MacLaine. It could have been Foxcatcher but the talking heads keep Bernie at a distance. Instead of diving in, the audience is forced back. The limited section in the middle of watching the two act is awesome. That's the heart of the movie.

Director Richard Linklater is known for his small movies and the quirky characters within them, as well as the realistic portraits he captures. In Bernie, Mr. Linklater captures the essence of a small Texas town and the true crime story of the bigger-than-life character loved by all.Mr. Linklater perfectly casts Jack Black (with whom he had done School of Rock) as the community's favorite citizen Bernie, Shirley MacLaine as the rich, bitter widow with whom Bernie becomes entwined, and Michael McConaughy (another Linklater alum, on the cusp of his career makeover) as the district attorney who must prosecute Bernie despite public opinion that Bernie should go free. All three stars give wonderful performances – most of all Mr. Black who restrains himself from his usual attention-grabbing antics and gives a well-controlled performance, including several songs that were quite unexpected.This beautiful character study has its moments of comedy, but it is the finely detailed performances that make it something special.