Lee Daniels’ The Butler is a chronicling of the civil rights movement through the eyes and ears of a black butler in the White House, based on a real man, Eugene Allen, who served 7 U.S. presidents from 1952 to 1986. Daniels and screenwriter Danny Strong (Game Change) take “dramatic liberties” with Allen’s personal life here, but the events that transpire in the White House are apparently true-to-life. The film stars Forest Whitaker as the titular servant.

As a historical drama, the film fumbles; it’s a cameo-parade that reduces some of the most interesting and socially significant people in our nation’s history to diminutive sound bites and fleeting, trivial (and inaccurate) caricatures. It’s a biopic (one of my very least favorite types of films) that looks and feels familiarly “Gump-y”, but without the exhilarating sense of narrative movement or unforgettable riffs on key historical moments (Strong’s riffs are woefully unremarkable). However, if you wipe away all of the spectacle, age make-up, presidential impressions, and on-the-head historical allegories, there’s an eloquent, affecting father-son tale that miraculously breathes life into a narratively encumbered film.

The film opens in the 1920’s Deep South with a jab to the heart; a gruesome image of the very worst consequence of post-slavery mentality that I am choosing not to describe in detail here, even though the image is tasteful and vital to the story. Cecil Gaines (Michael Rainey Jr.) is a young cotton picker who enjoys spending time in the fields with his father, but when his old man gives the plantation owner the tiniest bit of lip, he’s gunned down right in front of Cecil’s eyes. The boy is promoted to house worker by the covertly sympathetic Vanessa Redgrave, and over the next few decades sharpens his skills and works his way up to being one of the most respected and beloved butlers in the White House (he’s now played by Whitaker.) The climb from dank to swank is told through uninspired montage with a few emotional nuggets sprinkled in.

Within the white walls, Cecil serves a slew of presidents that are played by loud, well-known actors that can’t be disguised by any amount of makeup you pile on. Robin Williams (as Eisenhower), Alan Rickman (as Reagan), and John Cusack (Nixon) are so miscast and awkward that they’re guaranteed to jerk you right out of the movie and even make you laugh in bewilderment. Their presence is showy and hokey and not worth your time. On the other side of the coin, there’s Live Schreiber (as Johnson) and James Marsden (as Kennedy) who actually do a great job and disappear into their roles. Still, it feels like these appearances are doubly-distracting double cameos. “And now…John Cusack as Richard Nixon! Applaud! Laugh!” Cringe.

Though Cecil’s career is going swimmingly and he’s able to provide a cushy lifestyle for his wife Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) and two sons, Charlie (Elijah Kelley) and Louis (David Oyelowo), home life isn’t so peachy. Gloria, a stay-at-home mom, grows weary and neglected as Cecil is constantly caught up with his work at the White House. Louis, however, provides the most disruptive element to the family dynamic, as he becomes actively involved with the Freedom Riders and the Black Panthers, opposing the government his daddy serves, the same government that puts food on the table and gave him the house he grew up in.

This enrages Cecil (remember, he lost his father due to a transgression that’s tiny compared to Louis’.) Louis is fighting for civil rights aggressively, tooth and nail, while Cecil is quietly subverting black stereotypes by being a humble example of a great African-American man in the most influential building on earth (this observation is highlighted ham-fistedly in a scene between Oyelowo and Nelsan Ellis, as Martin Luther King Jr.) Cecil and Louis’ violently clashing views on how to foster change in the nation splits the family in two. Their opposing philosophies finally implode their relationship in wonderfully intense family dinner scene. Watching the father and son’s paths sharply diverge and then eventually meet again on the other side (in the current time of Obama) is the film’s one true joy.

Whitaker is so good here that he’ll often fool you into thinking you’re watching a great film. His range is staggering: he can smile the warmest smile you’ll ever see and make you feel safe, or he can stab you in the chest with a venomous glare. Likewise, all the main players (in contrast to the presidential cast) put forth strong performances, from Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz as Whitaker’s ribbing, chummy fellow butlers, to Winfrey, who handles her morally complex role eftly here, though her character’s arc feels somewhat superfluous.

Like I said, as a historical drama, Lee Daniels’ The Butler falls flat (though the filmmakers’ intentions are pure and good.) However, as a family drama, there’s something to it; the well-acted inter-familial relationships are undeniably effective and the moving father-son storyline unfolds elegantly. It’s a shame that the excellent central storyline gets so obstructed and mucked up by all the noise, spectacle, and pageantry (and that god-awful Cusack performance that I can’t seem to shake off. Yuck.)

Lee Daniels’ The Butler trailer

I’ll be up front with all of you immediately. I was excited for Magic Mike ever since I saw the first preview back in early Spring. Channing Tatum, who is easily my choice for breakout star of the year, doing a film with Steven Soderbergh? Yeah, I’m there. Soderbergh has been on an interesting run in the last 5-6 years. Other than Ocean’s Thirteen, which I felt was complete dreck, he’s been on fire. Lately it feels like he’s been trying a more naturalistic approach to filmmaking. More on that later, let’s get to the meat of Magic Mike (pun intended). Mike is played by yes, the ubiquitous Channing Tatum. Tatum is actually the catalyst for the story behind the film as it’s inspired by his life exploits as a male stripper from years ago before he was famous.

So I found myself in the theater with my girlfriend and slowly watched it fill with eager women of all ages. Some of the younger ones were literally running into the theater to claim a spot as if it was a piece of land in the Louisiana Purchase. This land grabbing wasn’t as vicious I suppose but still it was fun to watch. So here I am in this theater full of women, I’m maybe one of four guys in this place and yet I think I was as excited for the film as any of the other ladies. Of course, our reasons couldn’t have been more different. I was there for Soderbergh’s approach to the material and the women for well, yes, tons of male stripping.

The story has been told a dozen times, sometimes better but mostly worse. It’s more or less the story of a young man Adam (Alex Pettyfer) who is completely strapped for cash and is slowly searching for his place in the world. He lives with his sister Brooke (Cody Horn) who is a nurse. She supports him at times but doesn’t hesitate to push him to become something better. He is hired on at a construction site where he is paired with Mike to work on the roofs of new buildings. The partnership only lasts the day as the foreman accuses Adam of stealing and swiftly fires him.

Later that night, Adam is out with Brooke and her boyfriend at dinner, when Adam decides to take a walk. He coincidentally runs into Mike outside of a bar. The two make their way in and begin talking to some young women. Mike tells the women to meet him at a specific club later and they will get the night of their lives. Adam is unsure if he wants to tag along, but Mike has a certain charm to him and is able to convince Adam to go. I mean, he’s magic right? Adam finds out that Mike is a male stripper by night. As soon as Adam gets to the club he finds himself stripping. He ends up with a job doing it nightly earning tons of money and soon enough, tons of trouble.

The club Mike strips at is run by Matthew McConaughey. Every time McConaughey was on screen I made a mental note to do more crunches. There is a running gag among film fans that McConaughey hates wearing shirts and in Magic Mike I honestly don’t remember a scene where he dons one.

The plot of the film really didn’t interest me as much as the aesthetics did. It’s by no means terrible; it just felt pretty routine and at times really lazy. Let’s be real here though. The film was sold on Channing Tatum’s sex appeal and the fact that it’s him stripping for 2 hours, not Soderbergh’s name. The film that is actually present is a complete 180 from what the previews make it out to be.

There are a lot of great ideas in Magic Mike but I don’t feel like they were fully realized. Mike is good at what he does, but knows that he has time against him. He is harshly reminded of this fact by McConaughey late in the film. He actually has a plan with his money that he earns. Of course, a romantic subplot starts between Mike and Brooke but it never really takes off.

What I did like about the film is the way Soderbergh kills any sexual tension that builds throughout the film. It had to be a deliberate choice. Yes, I’m sure women are going to love all the scenes with men stripping, but anything else remotely appealing in terms of sexuality are quickly quelled by Soderbergh. This choice of editing was quickly voiced by women in the audience, which actually made me laugh.

Another thing Soderbergh did that I really liked was his stripped down approach (pun intended, okay that’s the last one) to the filmmaking. Much like his previous effort this year Haywire, he chooses to shoot the film in a completely naturalistic way. I don’t think there was any artificial lighting. Nearly all the lighting came from what you saw on screen.

I also must mention how Soderbergh uses sound in the film. The film’s sound was completely mono the entire time. This combined with the natural lighting makes me feel like Soderbergh is going for a throwback to 70’s filmmaking. The old school Warner Bros. logo kind of reinforces this theory of mine.

One thing last thing must be said. Channing Tatum.The guy is having one hell of a year. Haywire, The Vow, 21 Jump Street and now Magic Mike. Each different from one another, all successful at what they are trying to do. Tatum is picking the right films at the right time in his career. He’s also picking the right filmmakers to work with. A year ago I would’ve laughed in your face if you had told me the guy had a shred of talent, but my feelings about him have changed.

I don’t know if Magic Mike works completely on its storytelling, but from an aesthetic level the film is well done and was enough to keep me interested.