Review of The Butler (2013) by Laura B — 12 Feb 2014

Warning: Joel "Meeza" Mesa's review of Lee Daniels' "The Butler" will serve up plenty of punserves, so brace yourself. Many filmgoers ordered Lee Daniels' "The Butler" as an appetizing movie-going experience as it racked up plenty of cash at the box office. Many film critics also reviewed it as a riveting civil rights story. I concur for the most part on those sentiments. The movie is based on the experience of an African-American White House butler who served through many presidential administrations; from Eisenhower to Reagan. Forrest Whitaker stars as butler Cecil Gaines who as a child sadly watched his father get killed by a racist plantation owner. Gaines' resiliency led him to a server job at the Hotel Excelsior where the "Silver Linings Playbook" cast & crew resided at. OK, I am kidding but Gaines' hard work at the Hotel Excelsior led him to the butler gig at the Casa Blanca. Oprah Winfrey, yes that Oprah, plays Cecil's depressed & boozed-up wife Gloria. Her depression is mainly from Cecil being away for so much due to his long hours butlering away at the White House, and also because of Cecil's constant bickering with their eldest son Louis, who becomes a civil rights activist. Whitaker and Winfrey's performances were quite commendable; but with all due respect, I am glad that the Academy vetoed them from acting Oscar nominations. The line of presidential supporting performances included: John Cusack as Nixon, Robin Williams as Eisenhower, James Marsden as Kennedy, and Alan Rickman as Reagan; these esteemed actors might have played presidents, but their performances should have been impeached. Sorry guys! Lee Daniels should be honored in administering an important historic narrative that focused on numerous civil rights scenarios; but I would not insert Daniels' direction in the class of the Best Director Oscar administration for this year. Screenwriters Danny Strong & Will Haygood scribed up a strong & "hey, it's good" screenplay, but it did have a tendency to have a bit too many "civil rights" clichés. Lee Daniels' "The Butler" had plenty of historic treats, but did lack greatness; as some of our former Presidents themselves.

**** Good.