Prefaced with the title "inspired by real-life events", The Butler tackles the history of racial equality in America, presented through the eyes of Cecil Gaines (Forrest Whittaker), a White House butler for 34 years, who served under the likes of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. Coming from director Lee Daniels (Precious), he has brought an all-star cast, including Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, John Cusack, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Alan Rickman, together to bring this movie to life, and while at times it succeeds in telling a powerful story, the scope of the story is ultimately too much for it.
Written by Danny Strong (who Joss Whedon fans will know as Jonathon from Buffy the Vampire Sayer), The Butler begins with Cecil's childhood on a cotton plantation in Georgia (one of the many departures from the real-life story of Eugene Allen, in effort to inject some dramatic punch), chronicling years of his life in minutes, wasting no time in putting him in the White House, where the real story begins. From then it becomes a parade of big names doing pretty good impressions of famous Presidents (James Marsden does a good of affecting JFK's iconic accent, as does John Cusack as Richard Nixon, slightly unrecognisable under some good prosthetics), but they amount to nothing more than over glorified cameos. The real meat is to be found in Cecil's family life, which is too often put on the back burner. Louis (David Oyelowo), his eldest son, a political activist thrust into the middle of the racial issue (another addition to the script), from riding the Freedom Bus to joining the Black Panthers, and often times you are given the impression that a much more interesting movie is to be found if he was the focus. The film struggles to keep too many plot lines up in the air, with several left dangling or swept under the carpet altogether. Cecil's wife's, Gloria(Oprah Winfrey), infidelity and drinking problem is the the biggest and most glaring casualty, presented and dropped almost completely. The film works best in the quieter, more character centric, moments, especially in Cecil and Louis' relationship, which again could have been explored more. Presenting a story over 34 plus years, the narrative jumps years at a time, with the feeling that a lot has happened between the scenes, which makes some of the story frustrating to follow.
Whittaker is fantastic in the lead role, bestowing Gaines with an instant likability, and restraint when presented with the everyday prejudice which defines his life. The growing frustration with his lot in life is played perfectly, Gaines demeanour becoming gradually harder as time goes on, almost becoming a shell of his character by the movies third act. Winfrey provides good support, but the narrative moves by too quickly that her character becomes confused, too much development happening in too short a space of time. The supporting cast, including Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz, do a good job, but there is too much going on for them to make too much of an impact.
Sometimes powerful, The Butler is let down by an unfocused narrative, with the scope of the story proving too much for it.
Whittaker is fantastic in the lead role, bestowing Gaines with an instant likability, and restraint when presented with the everyday prejudice which defines his life. The growing frustration with his lot in life is played perfectly, Gaines demeanour becoming gradually harder as time goes on, almost becoming a shell of his character by the movies third act. Winfrey provides good support, but the narrative moves by too quickly that her character becomes confused, too much development happening in too short a space of time. The supporting cast, including Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz, do a good job, but there is too much going on for them to make too much of an impact.
Sometimes powerful, The Butler is let down by an unfocused narrative, with the scope of the story proving too much for it.
