A couple of clips for you from two auteurs, bringing some intersting entries to the arthouse next month.
First up is an oddball look at Richard Linklater's slightly twisted, based on a true story tale "Bernie." Starring Matthew McConaguhy, Jack Black and Shirley Maclaine, the film tells the story of a beloved mortician (Black) in a small Texas town who befriends a mean old widow (Shirley MacLaine) and commits a horrific crime. This slow burn thriller has been quietly making the festival rounds since last summer, and will screen at SXSW tomorrow. The scene below is an intriguing one, centering on Kay McCabe who portrays the mother of the D.A. (McConaughey), and it highlights the quasi-documentary style interludes featured in the film. Looks delightfully surreal. "Bernie" arrives on April 27th.
Next is another snippet from Kevin Macdonald's "Marley" about — you guessed — Bob Marley. Premiering in Berlin and hitting SXSW over the weekend, this one offers up a comprehensive look at the reggae icon. Though our gal in Berlin said the film favored reverence over deeper insight, some of us at the site are kind of music documentary junkies and this looks like it will indeed be a nice fix of reggae history. We were really drawn into this clip and were bummed when it was over. But we won't have to wait long as "Marley" arrives on April 20th. Watch both below. [Movieline/Shadow & Act]
While I'm excited that Richard R and Jack Black are working together again, on something juicier/edgier – and McConaughey is on an indie upswing with this, KILLER JOE and MAGIC MIKE – I'm all about MARLEY. This better destroy the doc/specialty box office when this lands. It's been too long comin.