From the opening scene of this film I was viscerally affected.
Let's just get this out of the way: Forrest Whitaker gives a magnificent performance in this film. Whitaker can dial it back (as he does in this film) or dial it UP as he did in "The Last King of Scotland" and play either with equal aplomb.
In terms of regard per performance, he's actually criminally underrated.
I thought Oprah's performance was very good, but I also enjoyed Cuba Gooding, Jr's return to a substantive role. It is nice to see him doing something poignant and relevant again.
The pace of the film is good and keeps you interested despite the flick's non-trivial running time.
It's not always an easy watch, but it wasn't meant to be.
This film is NOT meant to be a point-for-point reenactment of "the real" butler's life, but a weaving together of vignettes and actual historic occurrences. (It is BASED ON a true story, but not a biopic.) In this vain, the movie succeeds flawlessly.
There are clever casting choices (Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan REALLY IS a hoot for anyone who knows their history) and while admittedly some of the actors playing presidents lack the visages of their famous characters, the acting itself defeats these deficiencies. (I found Liev Schriber's LBJ hysterical AND accurate.)
From the opening scenes of brutal rape, murder and disregard for human life, to the struggle to maintain a semblance of decency and the fight for basic quality of life, this film depicts the struggle of MANY black people of the time - told through the prism of this butler.
I know this to be true because there are similar tales of these occurrences in my OWN family. I don't have to look far.
This film won't play well with the "get over it" set - or anyone who has ever used the term "race baiter." These folks are already approaching this flick with a certain agenda - and they aren't ready for it's truisms. Unfortunately, there are enough of them to result in the ridiculously low rating this film has so far undeservedly garnered on IMDb. Even the most ardent detractor who GENUINELY disliked this film without political agenda would have to admit that this film isn't a 1 star offering.
A rating that low is downright silly.
That said, for those of us who actually live in the real world and understand historical context, you will probably enjoy this film immensely. Like others, I experienced applause at the end of the film's showing, and I'd call the crowd mix about 50/50 black-to-white at my suburban theater. This would indicate to me, at least anecdotally that the entire crowd appreciated the film.
This film is not meant to be a pure biography per se... in fact, I'd say it's more about a FAMILY than even the butler or his job in general, but we pay attention because this particular butler happened to serve in the White House.
This film is REALLY about the generational struggles that occur in EVERY family, but made even more powerful by the juxtaposition and immediacy of the civil rights movement. This makes it STILL relevant, as its problems still echo in the headlines today.
If you wind up drawing parallels between Emmett Till, Oscar Grant and Trayvon Martin after watching this film - then you probably got the intent- and most likely enjoyed it. If you are of the mind that racism isn't that bad, the 50s in the south were "the good ol' days" and even the holocaust was probably overblown, then this flick isn't for you.
Might I suggest "Gone with the Wind?"
Let's just get this out of the way: Forrest Whitaker gives a magnificent performance in this film. Whitaker can dial it back (as he does in this film) or dial it UP as he did in "The Last King of Scotland" and play either with equal aplomb.
In terms of regard per performance, he's actually criminally underrated.
I thought Oprah's performance was very good, but I also enjoyed Cuba Gooding, Jr's return to a substantive role. It is nice to see him doing something poignant and relevant again.
The pace of the film is good and keeps you interested despite the flick's non-trivial running time.
It's not always an easy watch, but it wasn't meant to be.
This film is NOT meant to be a point-for-point reenactment of "the real" butler's life, but a weaving together of vignettes and actual historic occurrences. (It is BASED ON a true story, but not a biopic.) In this vain, the movie succeeds flawlessly.
There are clever casting choices (Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan REALLY IS a hoot for anyone who knows their history) and while admittedly some of the actors playing presidents lack the visages of their famous characters, the acting itself defeats these deficiencies. (I found Liev Schriber's LBJ hysterical AND accurate.)
From the opening scenes of brutal rape, murder and disregard for human life, to the struggle to maintain a semblance of decency and the fight for basic quality of life, this film depicts the struggle of MANY black people of the time - told through the prism of this butler.
I know this to be true because there are similar tales of these occurrences in my OWN family. I don't have to look far.
This film won't play well with the "get over it" set - or anyone who has ever used the term "race baiter." These folks are already approaching this flick with a certain agenda - and they aren't ready for it's truisms. Unfortunately, there are enough of them to result in the ridiculously low rating this film has so far undeservedly garnered on IMDb. Even the most ardent detractor who GENUINELY disliked this film without political agenda would have to admit that this film isn't a 1 star offering.
A rating that low is downright silly.
That said, for those of us who actually live in the real world and understand historical context, you will probably enjoy this film immensely. Like others, I experienced applause at the end of the film's showing, and I'd call the crowd mix about 50/50 black-to-white at my suburban theater. This would indicate to me, at least anecdotally that the entire crowd appreciated the film.
This film is not meant to be a pure biography per se... in fact, I'd say it's more about a FAMILY than even the butler or his job in general, but we pay attention because this particular butler happened to serve in the White House.
This film is REALLY about the generational struggles that occur in EVERY family, but made even more powerful by the juxtaposition and immediacy of the civil rights movement. This makes it STILL relevant, as its problems still echo in the headlines today.
If you wind up drawing parallels between Emmett Till, Oscar Grant and Trayvon Martin after watching this film - then you probably got the intent- and most likely enjoyed it. If you are of the mind that racism isn't that bad, the 50s in the south were "the good ol' days" and even the holocaust was probably overblown, then this flick isn't for you.
Might I suggest "Gone with the Wind?"