Butler, The

Synopsis: In this sweeping prestige drama, Forest Whitaker plays long-serving White House butler Eugene Allen, who worked under no less than eight U.S. presidents over the course of 30 years.

Aroview: A stagy but sincere history of post-war Black America from the point of view of a White House servant (played by Forest Whitaker). It works as a pointed reminder that it has been a very short time since the Civil Rights battles of the 1960s and that the election of a black president in 2008 was only another stage in the fight for freedom and equivalence that has been ongoing since the Civil War. It works less well as pure drama, despite a marvellous performance by Oprah Winfrey as Whitaker’s long-suffering wife – where has she been since THE COLOR PURPLE? Oh, right. I remember. ~ Dan Slevin