'Lee Daniels' The Butler' Review

At long last, I finally made it back to the theater over the weekend, and after a long summer filled with tons of CGI, animation, superheroes and the like, I was in the mood for a heavy drama. That's a good thing, because in opting to see Lee Daniels' The Butler, we definitley got heavy. Heavy-handed? Just a bit, but I"ll get to that in a minute. For now, let's just say that there are things I loved about The Butler, things I didn't like much and things that just really ticked me off about this movie.

Let's start by discussing what I loved about Lee Daniels' The Butler: the acting. I expected a brilliant performance from Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, a White House butler who served through eight presidencies. The man has set the bar so high, yet he continues to deliver. Whitaker's Gaines is at once understated and, in one particular scene that stuck with me, explosive. I could go on and on about how much I adore Forest Whitaker, how it is clear he pours his heart and soul into every single role he takes on, but I think you get the idea.

It isn't just Forest Whitaker who delivers a masterful performance in The Butler: Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr. and David Oyelowo all stood out as well, particularly Winfrey. It took me a bit to adjust to seeing Winfrey as Cecil Gaines' loving-but-troubled wife, Gloria, but once I got over the "oh look it's Oprah" stuff, I was thoroughly engrossed. Winfrey and Whitaker's performances in this film are, in my opinion, Oscar-caliber.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is perfectly cast as Carter Wilson, a fellow White House butler with Cecil and honorary uncle to his two sons, Louis (Oyelowo) and Charlie (Elijah Kelley). Gooding is at his best (to me) when his characters inject much-needed humor into an otherwise almost overwhelmingly heavy drama film. And Oyelowo gives a remarkably strong performance as Louis Gaines, a son who denounces his father's subservient way of life and, instead, forges his own path as the Civil Rights movement unfolds.

Do I think Lee Daniels' The Butler is the best movie of the year so far? No, that honor still goes to Mud, but The Butler is an important film. To me, the strongest sequences in the film were those depicting the brutality shown towards the Civil Rights workers (the sit-in at Woolworth's and the attack on the Freedom Riders bus). I mentioned an explosive scene earlier, and that was another high point: It comes when Cecil's eldest son, Louis, comes home and openly challenges his father's beliefs and way of life. Lee Daniels' excells with the family drama in this film. Following the Gaines family through decades of history worked on every level for me. The story is compelling, the acting (as I've already mentioned) is incredibly strong and I was moved to near-tears more than once.

What didn't I like about Lee Daniels' The Butler? The endless parade of presidents portrayed by big-name actors. It was distracting, sitting there saying "Now wait, who is that?" To me the whole thing was almost comical. As much as I like each of the actors portraying presidents in The Butler (Alan Rickman, Jon Cusack, Robin Williams, James Marsden and Liev Schreiber), I honestly believe this film would've been better served had unknowns been cast in the roles. I'm sure not everyone will agree with me here, but so be it.

Another issue I have with Lee Daniels' The Butler is this: While the film starts out letting us know it's "based on a true story," it's also very much a work of fiction. If you're curious, here is the actual Washington Post article about real-life White House butler Eugene Allen, published in 2008. So yes, while movie is loosely based on Allen's life, it's largely a fictional story set to the backdrop of historical events. If you're okay with spoilers, this Slate article, "How True is The Butler?" is also well worth your time.

So, to summarize: The Butler features some top-notch acting performances and a compelling storyline. Yes, it feels heavy-handed at times, and to me that's totally unnecessary because you've got such a remarkable story to tell. Know going in that this is loosely based on the real story of White House butler Eugene Allen, and you're good.

Will The Butler be an Oscar contender? Some are already speculating that yes, it could well be. I'm not sure. Given the slate of ridiculously amazing films that are coming in the next few months, I'm thinking it might get overshadowed. Time will tell.

Photos courtesy of EW.com and Eonline.com