The Butler

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today's review is The Butler.

Directed by Lee Daniels.

Written by Danny Strong.

Review #227

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for some violence and disturbing images, language, sexual material, thematic elements and smoking.

Run Time: 132 min

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Cast

Forest Whitaker...Cecil Gaines

David Banner...Earl Gaines

LaJessie Smith...Abraham

Mariah Carey...Hattie Pearl

Alex Pettyfer...Thomas Westfall

Vanessa Redgrave...Annabeth Westfall

Oprah Winfrey...Gloria Gaines

David Oyelowo...Louis Gaines

Colman Domingo...Freddie Fallows

Terrence Howard...Howard

Cuba Gooding Jr....Carter Wilson

Lenny Kravitz...James Holloway

Robin Williams...Dwight D. Eisenhower

John Cusack...Richard Nixon

James Marsden...John F. Kennedy

Liev Schreiber...Lyndon B. Johnson

Nelsan Ellis...Martin Luther King Jr.

Alan Rickman...Ronald Reagan

Jane Fonda...Nancy Reagan 

Every once in a while a movie will come out and pull a con on the audience. For the most part these cons have disastrous results. We are sold one film and go to that film full of anticipation and are given something entirely different. Different meaning bad. Then there's the film where the con turns out the other way.

The Butler is a con film. A damn good one too.

Plot

As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society.

Lee Daniels put his name on the map thanks to a little film called Precious. That film did more than showcase the acting talents of Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'nique. It showcased Daniels' storytelling prowess. The man took us on a journey that scratched and clawed at your heart. His second film The Paperboy was not as successful both critically and financially. This led to some of the shine coming off his name.

The Butler returns some of that shine.

Of course when looking at why this film succeeds you need look no further than the lead. Forest Whitaker is a tremendous actor that has FINALLY been given the respect and recognition he's deserved. Is he in Poitier's or Denzel's class.

No but he's knocking on the door.

This isn't his best performance to date. That title still stays with his portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. What he does differently here was giving Cecil the same power and presence that Amin had but did so with a quiet confidence and stoicism. This was a direct result of his training as a server in the south. He was taught to comply and act as if no one is in the room while he's in it. Cecil took his job seriously for the obvious and not so obvious reasons. The obvious ones being steady work and pay to support his family. The not so obvious ones being.

Nice try. I ain't giving those away. You have to figure them out for yourselves.

Whitaker along with the rest of the cast were good but the best part of this film is that you're not watching a film about a butler. This movie is without question a civil rights picture. You are taken down the path of history where our country was at it's worst when it came to matters of humanity. The unique twist is that you take this journey through the span of Gaines' life and career as a butler for The White House. This was an interesting and in my opinion very welcome development and change to the narrative. I walked in thinking I was going to see a biopic and instead I saw two films that played together seamlessly and organically.

The Butler posed several debates. While the country was dealing with civil rights battles. Cecil's family was battling each other over ideas and principles. It was a very predictable plot point that has been done in other films so as the movie progressed between acts you knew what to expect. This was an unfortunate and unavoidable side effect. This film takes place in a time where there weren't many outcomes to the problems that were presented, and none of the outcomes were pleasant. What kept The Butler from spiraling out of control was the interactions between Cecil and the several presidents he served. Those moments provided much needed breaks from the highly charged scenes of racial discord and violence. It also gave Whitaker the opportunity to put his skills to work as he played the server one minute and father/husband the next.

The Butler in addition to being a biopic/historical piece. It was also a story about family and keeping it together during those difficult times. Cecil experienced the brutal reality of racism first hand and wanted no part of that for his family. However, he couldn't stop his son from choosing his own path and seeing where it led. This was a very interesting dynamic the film exposed. How does a father handle the reality that his son is willing to defy his wishes of maintaining peaceful ways of attaining civil rights for a more "direct" approach. This exchange between the Cecil and Louis played out similarly to the confrontations that took place on the streets at the time. It was a very interesting and entertaining way to weave through the social unrest.

Finally, the film did a pretty good job with the presidents. Most of the actors resembled the men they were playing. It was nice to see proper detail placed in the casting of these roles. Sometimes films don't pay attention to the "minor" roles even though they may be former presidents of our country. Having said all of this, The Butler does have one flaw and it's a big one. The film is too long. It drags a bit and that takes away from the experience. There were too many scenes that felt repetitive and overbearing. I realize that this story is being told of the man who served several decades as a White House butler but there was way too much outside stuff that felt unnecessary. I get what Daniels was trying to do but for the sake of the story. A trim or two or twenty would have made this a much better film.

On the 5 star scale. The Bulter gets 3.5 stars. With a "Go See It!" recommendation.

That's a wrap for today.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"