The Butler (2013)

Cabin finds the film familiar in its broad story but formally radical and emotionally urgent. He especially praises Lee Daniels’s visceral staging of the civil-rights violence and Oprah Winfrey’s electrifying performance.

Kohn finds the film a thoughtful, emotionally grounded period drama despite its sentimentality and occasional camp. He praises the contrast between Cecil’s quiet White House service and his son’s activism, along with Forest Whitaker’s understated performance.

Brody finds the film stirring and politically resonant, though one filmmaking choice jolted him. He praises its attention to the dignity of ordinary work and highlights the power of its visual details.

The review finds the film sentimental and uneven but ultimately compelling, with its myths about American freedom sharply challenged. It especially praises Forest Whitaker’s restrained, affecting performance as Cecil Gaines.

Kenigsberg finds the film sentimental and reductive, yet ultimately satisfying. He praises the powerful interlude crosscutting a sit-in with the butler setting the White House table.

McCarthy finds the film emotionally effective and often engaging despite its schematic storytelling and middle-of-the-road approach. He especially praises Forest Whitaker’s finely tuned, ultimately stirring performance.

Edelstein finds the film crudely powerful despite its blunt direction and signpost-heavy script. He especially praises Forest Whitaker’s finely tuned performance, which conveys the grief and intelligence beneath Cecil’s deferential mask.

Kermode finds the film sentimental and over-polished, but says it retains genuine passion. He especially praises Oprah Winfrey’s energetic, complex performance as Gloria, whom he sees as the drama’s heart.

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The review's verdict and specific points of praise or complaint are not available in the accessible page text. The page identifies this as a three-star review but provides no further review details.

The review finds the film an Oscar contender despite feeling rushed and flimsy as it moves through history. It praises the excellent performances, especially Forest Whitaker’s understated, commanding portrayal.

Foundas finds the film both clumsy and overly sentimental, yet ultimately genuinely rousing. He singles out David Oyelowo’s electrifying performance and the father-son conflict as its most compelling elements.

Turan finds the film significant and strongly acted, but ultimately undermined by contrivance and unsubtle excess. He praises the chemistry between Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, while criticizing the implausible plotting around the presidents and the civil rights movement.

The critic finds the film earnest but overly preachy and sentimental, ultimately more worthy than enjoyable. Forest Whitaker’s quiet, sensitive performance is singled out for balancing the melodrama.

Aldridge finds the drama sprawling and soapy rather than a safe fit for director Lee Daniels. He criticizes Cecil Gaines’s portrayal as a Forrest Gump-like figure, standing stock-still through history.

The critic finds the film compelling and emotionally persuasive, tracing the Civil Rights Movement through a White House butler’s family. She especially praises Forest Whitaker’s nuanced lead performance and David Oyelowo’s portrayal of the son’s transformation.

Goldberg calls the film a solid story of a father and son divided by history, despite its heavy-handedness and distracting detours. He praises Forest Whitaker and especially David Oyelowo for their restrained, quietly expressive performances.

The critic finds the film a powerful, accessible survey of racism’s legacy, but says it falls short of the sweeping tearjerker it aims to be. They single out the relationship between Cecil and Louis, especially a parallel dinner-service and sit-in sequence, as its most affecting material.

The critic finds the film emotionally moving and historically engaging, despite contrived writing and distracting casting. Forest Whitaker’s dignified lead performance is singled out as its greatest strength.

Pape finds the film emotionally effective despite its uneven tone and sometimes unsubtle approach. He especially praises Forest Whitaker’s absorbing, nuanced performance as Cecil Gaines.

The critic finds the film passable at best and criticizes its conventional, inaccurate treatment of race relations. Forest Whitaker’s performance is singled out as excellent, despite reservations about his portrayal of Cecil Gaines’s speech.