The Butler

The cynic in me says the historical drama The Butler with a cast that must have cost a pretty penny (and several ugly ones) is pure, unadulterated Oscar Bait.

Starring Forest Whitaker, The Butler follows the life of Cecil Gaines, an African American doorman, barman and eventually butler to several Presidents of the United States of America.

Cecil grows up in the deep south in the early 1920s, essentially as a slave on a cotton plantation. When he moves away, he finds life hard and unforgiving. To make ends meet, Cecil takes up various jobs as a serving man.

His talents at diplomacy and swift service eventually mean he is picked out by the head of human resources in the White House to work as a butler. From there the film jumps from president to president, covering the important events in the civil rights movements.

The start of the student protests in Nashville. 

While Cecil's story covers these events from the viewpoint of the upper echelons of government, Cecil's son Louis (David Oyelowo) sees things from "the ground." He starts out as young man yearning for education, transforming into an activist and then a radical, travelling with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.

Cecil, rightly concerned, because that shit was cray. Like, MAXIMUM CRAY.

There's no denying The Butler is well-made and well shot, but it's hard to talk about as it isn't really about anything in particular. More than half of the film had gone by before I actually felt involved in the life of the Gaines family.

The Butler feels like it follows the Forrest Gump school of films, taking the audience on a ride through the most important parts of history. While Forrest Gump primarily focused on the eponymous character, The Butler has several protagonists, making the characterisation weaker overall.

Mama always said the President was like a box of chocol...wait, no.

That's not to say the cast doesn't show off their best acting chops. There's tragedy, family drama, tension, happiness and practically every other emotion on show and performed by a stellar cast.

Oprah, in particular, stood out as Cecil's wife. She looked appropriately weathered and exhausted, acted the caring mother, and lonely spouse and put on a convincing performance. Whitaker's turn as the soft-spoken butler was heartbreaking in places, but felt too subdued to carry a film. Similarly, Oyelowo seemed two dimensional for the majority of the film, staying in "angry young man" for too long to be truly engaging.

Weathered Oprah. Woprah.

Seeing which actor would play which president was probably the most enjoyable part of The Butler, and not once was I disappointed. James Marsden, Liev Schreiber, Robin Williams, Alan Rickman and John Cusack are all cast brilliantly.

Alan Rickman: Smarm Factor 1000%

I suppose the advantage of The Butler is that focuses on the lives of fictional characters, giving the film a broad a scope as it requires to tell the story. 

I personally enjoy seeing the checkered past of various nations and I was interested in The Butler, but I would have preferred to see Cecil and his family more affected by history. 

And more of this woman's hair.

The Butler is Oscar Bait, but as is often the case with Oscar Bait, a solid film.

"You were my favourite. YOU were my favourite. No, YOU were..."

Three stars.