Lee Daniels' The Butler

The Butler, what can I say? I'm going to be honest, I had absolutely no want to see this movie. I have a hard time tolerating Oprah Winfrey (I know I'm the minority) so the fact that she is a lead in this movie made me want to steer clear. On the opposite end of the spectrum I have a great amount of respect for Forest Whitaker and I think he is a brilliant actor.

This is the true life story of Eugene Allen. A lot has happened throughout this man's life and I cannot imagine what it would have been like to recap what it was like to serve under multiple presidents. I understood this film to be the story of a man working as hard as possible to give his family everything.

It is painful to watch at certain points when you watch his eldest son say horrific things to him or learn about his younger son going to war. Watching as Eisenhower talks about how he doesn't necessarily agree with desegregation in schools and knowing that he is that man's butler.

I cannot imagine what it was like to be Mr. Allen and live this life. It was hard for me to watch because at some points I felt like he was doing so much at that time eventually being honored by President Reagan but at the same time having to deal with Presidents who still saw him as just the butler. I know that this is a man's life story and deserves to be respected, however I felt as if the movie was a little long. I wouldn't say that that warrants a "don't watch." I would say if you are interested in the movie go ahead and RENT it, it is worth a view.

The Fighter

This is the story of someone who has been beaten down and is trying to make a come back. My mother, in particular, loves feel good movies, and as a result this is one of her favorites. The reason I watched this movie (again) was because I was home visiting my family and it was on TV. Now, when I say that my mom loves this movie, I mean she loves it, we watched it in its entirety.

I rarely watch anything live on TV anymore because I can't stand commercials, but I do have a certain love for this movie too and sat through it both times. Mark Wahlberg does a fabulous job portraying Mickey Ward. You fall in love with his character and start to feel for every struggle he experiences. As a viewer you will feel for Wahlberg in all aspect starting with his struggle to come back, the defeats he suffers, to dealing with his (crazy) family.

This movie is just touching and it it hard a lot of the time to get a movie that makes you feel emotions as much as this one does. I would most definitely say to see this in theater, even though that's obviously not possible at this point. But, to do it justice, I did see it in theaters in 2010 with my parents and it was a film that all three of us walked away from feeling like we just saw a great film.

Also, if you are a woman that has somebody who doesn't like to watch "girly films" but you're tired of watching the same old beat em' up, take em' down, I strongly suggest this movie!