The Butler Movie Review

Hi guys,

It's been awhile & I know- I am the worlds worst blogger but August was a very busy month for me and sadly, I didn't get to see many movies (booooooo!)

Anyway, I'm back now with a new review for Lee Daniels' The Butler which I had a chance to see whilst I was still in America. Unfortunately, there's no UK release date as of yet.

My anticipation for The Butler began we I saw Oprah’s instagram picture with Terrence Howard. It was epic. I was excited to see what Oprah would bring to the table as an actress.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that."

The film was based on the true story of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) and the progression of his life - first, as young boy working on a cotton farm, then inside the home, and eventually at a fancy hotel. After being discovered by a White House staffer, Cecil was hired as one of the butlers for the president, beginning with Eisenhower and ending with Reagan (though the story does continue to the present times). The film showed both the prevalence of racism and the many people who fought for equality during the civil rights movement. The casting was spot on and I think all of the actors were excellent in their roles, especially Forest Whitaker (duh!). 

Its not all glitter and gold. I do have some queries with this film. Oprah performance in this film was amazing & if she does get an Oscar it will be well deserved but once again, it plays to stereotype of 'the sassy black woman' which I'm just sick and tired of seeing time and time again (remember when Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for her role as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost? when the sole purpose of her character was to support the white couple and entertain the audience with her sass? remember?!). Lastly, structurally, that movie was a mess, like a glorified stage play, or was this just me?

Overall, this story was deeply moving and one that I definitely recommend, and i'm so glad that the story wasn't over sentimentalised like 'The Color Purple'.

So, what do you guys think of the film? Feel  free to leave comments below & I promise to update more.