The Details

First Hit:  An odd sort of film about how easy it is to slide down a slippery slope. The film’s opening moments, with a voice over by Jeff Lang (played by Tobey Maguire), states the dilemma Jeff is going to go through for the next 91 minutes. He begins a string of decisions, which include installing sod, bypassing city ordinances, and lying to his wife resulting in his going down a slippery slope that includes a murder. Jeff is married to Nealy (played by Elizabeth Banks) and they have one young child. When Jeff decides, against Nealy’s wishes to install sod in their backyard the raccoons begin to dig it up. Although he’s successful pediatrician this new battle between him and the raccoons becomes obsessive. His odd neighbor Lila (played by Laura Linney) gets wind of his battles and becomes an unwilling and spiteful participant in this war in different ways. Jeff and Nealy and friends with Rebecca and Peter Mazzoni (played by Kerry Washington and Ray Liotta respectively) and Jeff’s indiscretion with Rebecca digs him farther into the hole he’s creating for himself. Lincoln (played by Dennis Haysbert) plays on a pick-up basketball team with Jeff and becomes, yet another unwilling/willing participant in Jeff’s demise. The story is in the details (hence the title).

Maguire is an interesting choice for this role and actually carries it off quite well. There is an air of intelligence and stupidity in this role that he transmits strongly. I ended up both rooting for and against him in different scenes. Banks is good as the wife who is in her own space, not very engaged with Jeff, but decides to support her husband as the truth begins to unfold. Linney is fabulous in this very quirky role as the neighbor. Washington is OK as Jeff’s friend and colleague. Liotta is very good at bringing danger and learned redemption to his character. Haysbert is a standout in his role as gracious and grateful friend of Jeff’s. Jacob Aaron Estes wrote and directed this quite, quirky and at times interesting film.

Overall: It doesn’t quite grab the audience totally although some of the performances are very good.

Bernie

First Hit:  Jack Black is amazing and will be considered for an Oscar next year.

This is based on a true story in a small place called Carthage, TX.

It is about a helpful, kind, community oriented assistant funeral director named Bernie Tiede (played by Black) who comes to town and transforms it in small ways. Everyone, to him, deserves the best. And he does his best work on dead people for their funeral.

When Marjorie Nugent’s (played by Shirley MacLaine) husband dies, Bernie does his best to cheer her up. However, this is a tall task because everyone knows both Marjorie and her now deceased husband were rich mean people – probably she more than he. She is despised by everyone, including her family.

Her grandchildren tried to sue her for money after their grandfathers’ death and she wouldn’t budge. She found her family to be ungrateful and misguided people who only wanted to take from her what she owned. Bernie, through kind persistence, became her friend and over time they began to travel together as well as spend a lot of time together.

The film does serve up the question as to whether they were intimate lovers and one never knows. The truth is not really known and therefore the film is honest in presenting both possible sides. Why Bernie shot Marjorie, I’m not sure Bernie really knows, except that he felt caged by his own giving in his friendship to Marjorie.

Lastly, the cutaways to townsfolk are beyond funny. The quips, comments, and thoughts about Bernie, Marjorie, and them as a couple are simply hilarious. Although at times I felt like I was the only one laughing out loud and hard, there were plenty of times, I was joined by others in the audience.

This is one truly funny dark comedy, the sad part is that it actually happened.

Black is extraordinary and deserves to be considered for an Oscar for this performance. He is amazing, believable, and his obvious talents in singing and comedy are fully apparent. MacLaine is very good and holds the mean disposition very well. Her subtle shift towards being human at times is small and very controlled. And although she does share a smile and some joy as time moves on, the deepening of her controlling nature over Bernie bubbles in full force as time moves on. Matthew McConaughey plays the DA who prosecutes Bernie. His natural homespun Texas charm and sideways quips are on full display here. For all the actors who played townsfolk – a grand hurrah!!! You were great. Skip Hollandsworth and Richard Linklater wrote a sparkling funny script, while Linklater’s direction brought all this together in a very funny and interesting way.

Overall:  There is controversy with this film, which only adds to its irrepressible humor and charm.