The readership of this blog contains at least sixty-five per cent male. Being so, I am assuming that most of you guys are all loving comic book and action and sci-fi and horror movies, yeah? Well this review is still for you, although we have something different. A few days ago, I took the task of watching the latest Steven Soderbergh male drama, 'Magic Mike', a movie that follows the lives of male strippers. Entering the theaters was already a challenge as a lot of girls were coming in too, obviously, they're up for an hour or so with Channing Tatum ('She's The Man') who is by the way half of the movie was shirtless. Trivia: this movie is based off of Tatum's life as a former stripteaser. And honestly, I'm up for something else.
'Magic Mike' is one of the continuing proofs that Soderbergh does want to continually surprise, turning a silly and absurd premise to a profoundly affecting movie.
Magic Mike (Tatum) is a now thirty-something budding entrep from Tampa, Florida whose business idea is custom furniture. He tries to earn money and the majority of this comes from his day and night jobs. His prior job is for a roofing company and his latter is for a strip club as a male stripper. The movie makes it clear that the only opponent you may have to face in the stripteasing business is aging--and Mike Lane (Magic Mike) is now on his thirties. Not good, let alone his boss-slash-owner-slash-emcee to the club, Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) is always around, the only but effective reminder to this fear. He has to make a steady life ahead.
He meets Adam (Alex Pettyfer, 'I Am Number Four') in the construction company he works for and witnesses the nineteen year-old college dropout quit his first ever job on his first day of work when he takes too many soda. Busted. The next day, Adam sees Mike in a rather "hit" nightclub and curiosity kills the cat from then. Mike's group (xQuisite dancers) is short of one member and it's because of their resident DJ, handing drugs to the dancers hence one member is too stoned to dance on stage. Impromptu, Mike spots Adam and drags him on stage to striptease, he then nicknames him "The Kid". Adam becomes a blockbuster to the audience and eventually will be drawn to the world of stripping. Many things will happen eventually that will confront aging, security, immaturity, devastation and doing what you really want in life.
Inspired by the life of lead star and co-producer Channing Tatum, 'Magic Mike' has authenticity. The rawness of Tatum's acting in this movie is plausible enough, mainly caused by his true experience of the subject matter. He was, like the character Alex Pettyfer portrays, Adam, a ninteen-year-old stripper back in the years until he made it to Hollywood. I've already had my share of skepticism about his skills that are in my opinion may be above serviceable but never that remarkable. There are really good performances in this drama-com, especially Matthew McConaughey doing his, well...stuff. (I won't spoil, it's pretty darn hilarious!) Question though: are you quite happy to see True Blood's Joe Manganiello in this movie? Yeah, I don't have an answer either.
Soderbergh makes a less spicy-sexy than one would expect for this sub-genre and I'm pretty sure that girls were sad about that. Regardless, I still witnessed some giggles from the girls inside the theater, it was deafening, I'm sure of that. There is the “hit or miss” formula when it comes to the drama of the film; kind of like the films of Wes Craven. But I'm certain that once it turns to “hit”, it surely does. It pierces to the audiences especially to the male-gender. When Magic Mike steps off the stage, it's not surprising anymore how much value of emotion it drops off to the audience: it drops off a heavy weight, a discomforting feeling, perhaps sympathy of what is currently happening with the characters. I may repeat myself but I do believe it's because of Tatum's authenticity to this movie.
Understanding, honest and entertaining, 'Magic Mike' is something else. And probably, by now, Sodenbergh might be laughing behind everyone who didn't watch this film's backs, muttering a little: “You just missed one of the better movies of the year, excessively “manly” that you can't watch this movie-bastard!”.
GRADE: B+
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