![]() ![]() Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan and Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan are particularly impressive while John Cusack's impersonation of Richard Nixon may take a few moments to sink in. Robin Williams, James Marsden, Minka Kelly, Liev Schreiber, James DuMont, Nelsan Ellis, Jesse Williams and Colin Walker appear as famous figures from the past, all of whom cross paths with Cecil. Serving in a posh hotel soon leads to a call from the White House where scary Freddie Fallows (Colman Domingo), a White House maître d’, subjects Cecil to a tough interview. When Maynard turns down a job in Washington DC, he puts Cecil up for it. Cecil learns to survive amid the life-crushing racism of the era. In a time when white people could kill black people on a whim, Cecil is discovered by a black clerk Maynard (Clarence Williams III) who teaches him the nuances of serving ignorant white people in a time of segregation. Cecil eventually runs away and, starving, breaks a window to get to some cake. There, Cecil's father (an excellent performance by David Banner) has to watch on as his wife (Mariah Carey) is habitually raped and abused. In a tempered, credible performance, Forest Whitaker leads as Cecil Gaines, a southern African-American raised on a cotton plantation run by Thomas Westfall (Alex Pettyfer) and his mother Annabeth Westfall (Vanessa Redgrave). In some ways, the softer Butler is a filmic preparation for the agony of 12 Years A Slave. There’s plenty for the crowd here, and, like Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Don Jon, the fact that The Butler is accessible across almost every demographic will get its message through to those who need to see it - those who maybe wouldn't see it if it were, say, art house. ![]() Roughly based on the real-life story of Eugene Allen, Daniels' approach is straightforward and highly emotive. Director Lee Daniels doesn’t get arty with this story of racial divide and American unrest. As a movie it’s a little too neat and a little too worthy but as a benchmark The Butler is a triumph with a strong cast. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |