Review of The Butler (2013) by Tyler R — 09 Aug 2014
The Butler tells recounts the life of Cecil Gaines as he goes from the plantation as a child to one of the most respected men to work in the White House. While Forest Whitaker and a couple others do a good job, the film is bogged down by over the top performances, spotty pacing, and an over sentimentality that makes it feel like a Lifetime movie at some points.
It is an interesting story and watching Forest Whitaker grow and react to certain situations is interesting, but side plots like his sons and his cheating wife are just thrown in and never given much thought.
I'm not disrespecting or denying these events, I'm just saying they should've been fleshed out more than others. And some of the cameos from certain presidents come off as incredibly over the top and hokey, with one or two feeling like they were pulled from a bad SNL skit.
And the film has a certain feel at times that makes it feel like a cheap Lifetime movie, whether it was an over the top musical score or cheesy performances or hokey makeup effects. This is a shame, because Forest Whitaker really does carry the film on his shoulders from the moment he shows up.
Overall, it wasn't a bad film, but some fat should've been trimmed and certain scenes rewritten.
This review of The Butler (2013) was written by Tyler R on 09 Aug 2014.
The Butler has generally received positive reviews.
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