Sunday, November 3, 2013
The Butler (2013)
Cast:
Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Elijah Kelley, Terrence Howard,
Cuba Gooding Jr., Lenny Kravitz,
Director: Lee Daniels
Synopsis: Cecil Gaines is born a slave in the 1920’s. First, he is a slave
out in the cotton field, but after a tragic event the woman of the house
decides to allow Cecil to become a house slave.
It is in the slave house that Cecil learns how to serve and this catapults
him to live a courageous and unbelievable life.
After leaving the house he grew up in he becomes a server in a high-end
hotel and eventually is called by the White House to become a butler. The film follows Cecil’s time in the White
House as he serves Presidents Eisenhower to Reagan and it also follows the
tumultuous events of the Civil Rights Movement during these years.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5/5 reels
Review:
The Butler begins with a heavy, dark, and tragic scene and then subtly moves
to a more comfortable and enjoyable film to watch. The opening scene shows a
young slave boy Cecil Gaines watching his father get killed after standing up
for his wife, who has just been raped. The movie then follows Cecil as opportunity
after opportunity comes to him to be a house slave, then a valet, then a server
at a high-end hotel, and eventually a butler in the White House. During this
period of Cecil’s life, Lee focuses on showing the instructions that more
experienced African Americans give to Cecil while training him for each specific
job. The words, “it should feel as though you are not in the room” are repeated
by each of Cecil’s bosses and this repetition reminds viewers the worth (or
lack of worth) that was instilled into the lives of slaves and African
Americans. This is dramatically shown as nearly every president is seen and
heard talking about African Americans or the Civil Rights Movement as Cecil
serves as though “he is not even in the room.”
Lee Daniels
brings an important part of American history to the big screen and does so in a
charming, funny, serious, and meaningful way. He does a spectacular job of
expressing the tension that was experienced by different generations during the
Civil Rights Movement. The film not only
follows Cecil’s professional career, it also follows Cecil’s immediate family. Cecil
has two sons and his eldest son is passionate about being part of Martin Luther
King’s movement and throughout the film gets thrown in jail time and time
again. The eldest son’s embarrassment of his dad’s career and obedience to the
“white man” is shown in the way the son leaves for college, in the comments his
friends make to him, and the way he withdraws from his family. This tension
that Daniels brings to light is important and one of the ways he makes the
family and the movie seem realistic.
The movie
runs at 132 minutes and at times feels long. Not a very exciting or action
packed movie and because it runs through nearly every president since
Eisenhower, it feels orderly and predictable at times. It does, however, do a
great job of highlighting main events throughout American history. The costumes
and set was not overly spectacular but was appropriate to the movie.
The cast
shines, especially Forrest Whittaker, Oprah Winfrey, and their two sons in the
movie, Elijah Kelly and David Oyelowo.
These four actors shine and surprisingly, their fame does not take away
from the characters they play. The presidents and first ladies played by famous
people such as Robin Williams, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, and Minka Kelly prove
to be somewhat distracting but make the film interesting as it provides a
chance to see the creativity of make-up and wardrobe as they transform some of
America’s most famous celebrities.
Overall, the movie was entertaining, influential, and took the viewer on
a ride of emotions.
Reviewed By:
Lauren Mendoza
I really enjoyed reading this review of the Butler. This review addressed all of the questions that I had about this film when I was trying to decide whether or not to watch it. The detailed synopsis of the film was well written; it revealed the purpose and story of the film without giving away its ending. The evaluation of the cast was helpful as well, as it not only addressed their performance, but also how convincing the casting of each actor was as his or her respective role. I especially appreciated the comments regarding the film's realism and running time, as these are two things that often make me regret watching historical films, since they are either too long and boring or simply unbelievable. Overall, I now understand both the positives and negatives of viewing this film and am convinced that I should watch it.
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