Lee Daniels was known for his non-subtle, straightforward storytelling technique. His previous movies “Precious” and “The Paper Boy” had its share of blunt, clunky moments and few unintended laughs. Once again he aims high with his “The Butler” (2013), to take the viewer through the 20th century domestic racism in America. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but in the end the film comes off as a bit over ambitious in trying to encompass a large history within too narrow a framework. However, this is a rare mainstream multigenerational saga set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement and is also rare in a way, where a bunch of white actors act only in the distractive cameos.
“The Butler” is loosely based on the life of a black White
House butler named Eugene Allen, who died in 2010. Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) is the fictionalized version of Eugene, who at the start, recalls his
childhood in the 1920s Georgia, USA. Field workers in the cotton fields were
only technically ‘free’ in those areas. Their white bosses still toil them with
low wages and mistreatment. The plantation owner’s psychopathic son rapes
Cecil’s mother and later guns down the father. The old matriarch (Vanessa Redgrave) of the house pities Cecil and invites him to work inside the house as
domestic servant. The qualities Cecil
gains as a servant helps him to head north and find work as a waiter in a posh
Washington, D.C., hotel. As a butler, at an early age, Cecil has learned the
importance of silence and serves the customer right. This polished
professionalism attracts a White-house staffer.
Gaines soon gets a call from White House and earns a slot as
the butler. He was also coldly informed by the head butler that “we have no
tolerance for politics in the White House.” After joining the staff, Cecil
begins to work his way through the ranks and serves eight American presidents
from Dwight Eisenhower (Robin Williams) to Ronald Reagan (Alan Rickman). The
loyal White House employee’s home life is somehow filled with dissension.
Cecil’s prideful wife Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) becomes an alcoholic as she is
mostly left to her choices to raise the two sons alone. The elder son Louis
(David Oyelowo) is the first one to go to college but later joins radical
groups like ‘Black Panthers’ and resents his father’s status as servant in the
White establishment.
The script written by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong totally
dramatizes Eugene Allen’s personal life, but they have stated (in interviews)
that the events and conversations depicted inside the White House have actually
happened. Nonetheless, the White House scenes are not as good as the portrayal
of relationship between Cecil and Louis. The speed with which the politics
unfolds inside White House makes you wish that it could have been great if
“Butler” was developed into mini TV series (like “Roots”). Truman, Ford and
Carter don’t even get a scene as they are seen only in news footage. The other
five presidents are portrayed by well known actors, who kind of become a
distraction. The script also isn’t interested in exploring the intricacies of
Cecil. The direction is imbued with a desire to deliver Oscar-worthy shots,
even though there is no denying that some moments are really heartfelt, honest
and moving.
Forest Whitaker gives another dignified performance, who
takes the risk of underplaying a main character, which could have easily milked
audiences’ tears with a broad-stroked performance. The faces he shows to his
employers and family is an effective showcasing of Whitaker’s talents. Oprah
Winfrey breaks her image by effectively playing an alcoholic wife. David Oyelow
is another scene-stealer, who ages up from 17 to 60, perfectly capturing the
anger and idealism of a black youth without making the character, a cliché.
Robin Williams, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, James Marsden, John Cusack and Jane Fonda are
buried under makeup to play the half-hearted White House scenes. However, “The Butler” creates a lot of space
for talented black actors than what they usually get in Hollywood. Cuba GoodingJr., Terrence Howard and Lenny Kravitz are uniformly excellent.
Lee Daniels’ “The Butler” is made for awards and
manipulatively tries to create the ‘Big Movie’ feel. Nonetheless, the
performance from the main cast keeps the movie grounded and gives it an
irrefutable emotional power.
Trailer
Rated PG-13 for some violence, disturbing images, language,
sexual material and thematic elements.
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