Magic Mike

Magic Mike is a very unusual film. Because it looks as if it should be a total romp for the ladies. Silly and comedic and fun. But actually it is done in Stephen Soderbergh's usual style - understated, and dramatic. It does feature topless men and musical numbers for the ladies. But actually it is a drama film about a young man struggling to find his place in the world and torn between what he should do with himself. On its own merit it is a good and enjoyable film with some important themes that are usually examined through female characters. Eg the female stripper who has grown tired of the comfortable and highly lucrative career and of being objectified and wants to be more wholesome. So it is interesting to see these themes explored through male characters. Very unique in this regard actually.

Ok I have watched this a few times. Every time I do I get legitimately angry over that terrible actress that is cast as Brooke. Yikes. She can't act at all and her facial expressions are cringe worthy.

She ruins the entire movie. So bad.

The usherette tittered when I bought my ticket. 'Why do you laugh?' I asked. 'Because only girls are watching this'. Clearly this is someone who doesn't believe in the universality of cinema. Yes, Steven Soderbergh's latest features male strippers, and yes it will appeal more to a certain demographic, but so will every film. Audiences may be disparate but films are androgynous. Or should be.

As 'Magic' Mike, charming Channing Tatum naturally gets top billing, but the film revolves around Adam (rising star Alex Pettyfer). Adam is a congenital loser, the kind of guy who refuses to wear a tie and wonders why he can't sustain a job. He lives with his sister, Brooke (Cody Horn), whose acting conveys a suspicion of men, presumably because she has only her wayward brother as a yardstick.

Adam finds work on a construction site with Mike, who sees the desperation of Adam's situation and entices him to join his exotic dancing troupe, Xquisite, led by Dallas (Matthew McConaughey). Dallas astutely exploits Adam's naivety by branding him 'The Kid', an amateurish, sloppy act, which the ladies love. The next three months are a non-stop orgy of girls, booze and drugs: everything a man like Adam could wish for.

This lifestyle has lost its appeal for Mike, now 30, who only took up professional undressing to become a bespoke furniture salesman. He no longer wishes to hold out for the phantom 10% of the business Dallas keeps promising him, but poor credit keeps him on the pole. (Tatum again stars in a role which brings out his effortless charisma and sweetness.)

McConaughey recently impressed me in William Friedkin's 'Killer Joe', and now this film has completely changed my mind about him. He's gone from my dud to my stud list in just two films. And Pettyfer works because he doesn't work, if you see what I mean. Although an ex-model, he's not 'stripper material' (not that I'd know much about that sort of thing), yet there's a naturalness to his acting, which works.

Although not in the same league as some of Soderbergh's other titles (notably 'Traffic' and 'Out of Sight'), there's enough going on to warrant a viewing. Characters are well written, lives intersect in an unforced manner, motivations are believable. There's plenty of saucy (and quite impressive) dancing to keep the majority of this film's audience happy, but there's also a decent story for those who aren't watching exclusively for nudity.

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This might come as a shock to some, but this is not really a movie about male strippers. Yes, two of the principal characters are male strippers, but—as Channing Tatum's character (Magic Mike himself) says at a crucial point in the film, "That's what I do—it's not who I am." Amid the bountiful buttcheeks and brawny pecs on display, there is a real story here about ambition, and goals, and loyalty, and commitment, and self-actualization. Yes, I used the term "self-actualization" in a review of "Magic Mike"; I told you you might be shocked.

At any rate, plenty of folks (like the pathetic woman who was sitting behind me in the theater, the one who clapped like a poorly trained seal, guffawed, and cackled any time the least bit of male skin appeared on screen) will go see this movie because of all the hype about the hot male bodies in various states of undress—and they will certainly enjoy the film on that very basic level. But let's be honest here, folks—this is a Stephen Soderbergh film—and Soderbergh does not use sex and titillation gratuitously. The plot is compelling, the film is well written and masterfully directed, and Channing Tatum proves that he is much, much more than a hot body and a pretty face. For his sake, here's hoping that "Magic Mike" can propel him along a career path similar to those of other handsome actors who managed to overcome "Movie Star" looks to prove that they were genuine actors. Like Brad Pitt.

So many elements that could have made this a truly original movie. Instead it's confusing, meandering and ultimately pointless. Alex Pettyfer, the innocent entering the world of male strippers has a good face a great body but lacks life, yes, that's it, he's kind of lifeless. Channing Tatum, whose story, apparently, this is, has a body that seems to have been shaped by a genius, but a face that looks slightly unfinished. I didn't get his character at all. As an actor Channing tries far too hard. Matthew McConaughey is a hoot, Great chest and he seems to be relishing the spotlight. So, all in all, entertaining and little, very little else.