The Butler (2013)
Genre: Drama / Biography
Duration: 132 minuten
Alternative title: Lee Daniels' The Butler
Country:
United States
Directed by: Lee Daniels
Stars: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo
IMDb score:
7,2 (123.433)
Releasedate: 16 August 2013
The Butler plot
"One quiet voice can ignite a revolution."
'The Butler' tells the true story of Eugene Allen (Forest Whitaker), a chamberlain who has been active in the White House for more than three decades. He has served eight different presidents. His career began in 1952 when Harry Truman was the reigning president and finally ended in 1986 when Ronald Reagan was president of America.
Actors and actresses
Cecil Gaines
Gloria Gaines
Hattie Pearl
Richard Nixon
Nancy Reagan
Carter Wilson
Howard
James Holloway
John F. Kennedy
Louis Gaines
Reviews & comments
Baboesjka
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- 891 messages
- 1952 votes
Very nice movie. Much better than I expected. I think it's a gripping (true) story. It continues to indignant me that there were so many problems due to the difference in skin color. I think the acting is very good. Forest Whitaker is an excellent cast for the lead role. Despite the long playing time, it remained interesting. The story about the son also appealed to me. The ending moved me, as is true of anything else in the film, but I thought it was a very emotional ending. Yes, this one came in. 4*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
Although I'm always intrigued by African-American films from the 60's-70's (and before), I always feel like I'm putting them way ahead of me. A sense of vicarious shame always overwhelms me with deep-seated institutionalized racism. This is no different here, although the emphasis of the film is different. Racism and white condescension are certainly discussed, it is almost inevitable, but I was happy to see that the focus turned out to be more on Cecil Gaines and the event around it, even though the presidents that pass in review are more extras and set filling.
Excellent role by Forest Whitaker, who is rarely if ever disappointed in his performance. Also interesting was the persistent submissive attitude of father Cecil and the more rebellious, biting attitude of his son Louis. The contrast is great and forms a fault line between different generations. The young generation does not know what it was like on the cotton fields at the time, where blacks, (pseudo) slaves also (still) could be murdered or mistreated with impunity.
A great cast too, some more successful than others, but Winfrey also did very well here. However, the acting as a whole was very good. Excellent film in its entirety in a turbulent period in which black citizen movements have prominently shaped African American history for several decades.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
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- 11421 messages
- 6719 votes
Friendly.
The Butler is kind of the movie I expected it to be. I had heard of it from the moment of release. It is a film that has racial politics as its central core and it therefore mainly continues to circle around it. The result is a predictable but still relevant film.
The most intense scenes are probably in the beginning of the film, where subjects of slavery are highlighted. The rest of the film focuses more on the drama and on Whitaker as he takes his new role. That causes problems, peculiarities and other events. They continue to differ. Sometimes it is extremely interesting, on the other hand it also completely bypasses me.
The acting is decent, although there won't be anyone that I'm going to remember. The film has a fairly heavy running time and the tone also ensures that it is not an easy film to get through, but it is still interesting and captivating enough not to be forgotten. The relevance of the film is also a supporting factor, and that was necessary. Safely organized, important furnished.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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