Magic Mike
Magic Mike takes a familiar story and transforms it into something modern, unique and beautiful to look at.
Being that it ’s a creation of Steven Soderbergh ( Contagion , Haywire ) , it should be no surprisal that ( like its titulary character)Magic Mikeis more than the superficial chassis - fest it may initially seem to be . apart from being a witty reversal of the usual cinematic gender roles ( men , rather of girls , being showcased as sexual object ) , the moving picture is also a refreshingly original ( and often uproarious ) workplace ensemble drollery ; a pernicious social commentary on blue - collar battle and the pitfalls of the American Dream ; a nuanced character study anchored by breakout conduct man Channing Tatum ( The Vow ) ; and even at its infirm , a cute ( if not cliched ) wearisome - burn love story .
Mike is a intemperately - working ( and firmly - playing ) Tampa , Florida boy with ambition that extend beyond the border of his blue - arrest reality . He wants to take up a business cook custom furniture ( his kinky personal compulsion ) , but credit woes keep him strand in the limbo of left over - line work , with nights spent wake up the ladies of Tampa as a legendary manly dancer / exotic dancer . Mike ’s stress on his flurry gets sidetracked when he meet Adam ( Alex Pettyfer ) , a fresh - faced boy practically solicit for a wing to rest under . Mike wastes no time turning Adam out ( that ’s pimp slang , Google it ) and premise him , cesspit - or - swim style , to the world of male stripping - a man hosted by charismatic den father / business manager , Dallas ( Matthew McConaughey ) .
The game inspissate when Adam ’s sister , Brooke ( proportional newcomer Cody Horn ) , learns about her brother ’s unexampled profession . Cody is n’t the " vampire " type ( i.e. , those who be the wild night life ) and she challenges Mike ’s smooth - as - butter swagger , while also defend him to the hope that he ’ll do right by her brother . Of course , like any young man with looks , money , and the worship of women , Adam quickly begins to tumble down the slippy slope of drugs and unsound decisions - bring down both him and Mike in some troubled body of water . Questioning his futurity and his family relationship with both Dallas and Brooke , Mike soon finds himself facing some hard reality , and hard choices .
As state , Magic Mikeoffers much more than its initial kinky ( and too familiar ) premise . regretful fella , there is still a lot of sculpted manly anatomy being put on exhibit - and trust me when I tell you , you ’ll be getting an eyeful ofeverything . However , Soderbergh manoeuvre with his common interminably hip sense of way , and does a great problem of make grow the entire stripping view of the picture in a way that mirrors the literal experience : an alluring illusion that , when essay in more depth , lento reveals a somewhat strange , lamentable , and ultimately unfavorable realism .
The enticing dance sequence are perfectly executed and deliciously juxtapose to the off - beatnik wing conniption where the pretty boys straightaway get puerile and empty-headed , soliciting many laughs as we learn these grown men engage in odd ( quasi - womanly ) behaviour as manscaping , costuming , or ( ahem ) a bit of … anatomical enhancement . Workplace comedies are great - provided you have the correct tout ensemble of personalities ; Tatum , McConaughey , and the other members of the stripping team -True Bloodstar Joe Manganiello , former WWE star , Diesel ( Kevin Nash),CSI : Miamistar Adam Rodriguez andWhite Collarstar Matt Bomer - have the interpersonal chemistry and the snappy repertory to keep things light and fun up in the club . Manganiello - who plays the ably named " Big Dick Richie " - continues to be a stand out , even when handed thin supporting stuff ; McConaughey somewhat much owns every scene he ’s in , and arguably plays his effective character since he dropped those classical lines as an overaged high-pitched school clinger inDazed and Confused .
Tatum continues to make bold his detractors to hate him , as he once again wrench in a large leading performance as Mike . The actor ( who is treading on some semi - autobiographic stuff here ) layers his carrying into action absolutely , so that he is at once the fantasy guy that women desire and men aspire to be ; the ' hooker with a tenderness of gold and big dreams ' that we ’ve learn in so many picture show before ( Pretty Woman ) ; but in secret ( and revealed with careful measurement ) a disruptive , lone soul frustrated by the trapping of his blue - collar aliveness and the inevitable void that come from being overshadowed by his"Magic Mike " theatrical role . Tatum nails every scene that requires him to do real emoting or show serious vulnerability ; otherwise , he ’s a smooth - talking , slick - saltation , slice of leading man oculus confect that certain TV audience will consume right up .
Cody Horn will belike enjoy breakout success thanks to this role , as she manage to hold the cover both on her own and when facing off against Tatum . Mike and Brooke ’s alchemy is witching and interesting to watch , even if seeming , at metre , like an extraneous addition to the plot . Buffalo Bill plays Brooke as a sardonic perceiver of the mad existence around her - the one person in this crowd of misfits who recognizes the absurdity of what ’s going on , and can see well beyond the pretty fantasy to the soul - eat at eventuality of the commercial enterprise . Horn ’s immaculately structured case conveys volume of expression in just a furrowed glimpse , or twisted mouth , and Soderbergh lets the camera linger on her at every opportunity , create an entire subtext about those women for whom this special setback ( men work as sexual objects ) hold footling temptingness .
Supporting doer like Alex Pettyfer and Olivia Munn are give the strong jobs of conveying some of the secondary sub - plots of the film in a direction that is effective , but not too distracting to the main story threads . Pettyfer ( who has headline films likeI Am Number FourandIn Time ) has arguably had his natural endowment leave out ; his character ( re - christen as " The minor " ) is not that interesting when compared to Mike , but Pettyfer handles Adam ’s descent into corruption and stagnation in such a nuanced ( but resonant ) manner that it deserves acknowledgement . Munn dally Joanna , a hedonistic intellect whose casual relationship with Mike takes some interesting turn when Mr. Magic tries to grasp something real in his life . While Munn is n’t the big actress , her character serves her well and this is in all probability her most memorable onscreen performance to date .
Soderbergh ’s directorial style and editing is ( as usual ) a high spot of the proceedings , and transforms the true cliched tale beats ofMagic Mikeinto something fresh and unique . The pic is structured by chapter that each cover one month of summer ( June , July , August ) - and even the saltation - cut of meat from chapter to chapter are executed in tar - perfect fashion . The picture taking is structured evenly well , and often holds on certain pellet or perspectives that are perverse to the voyeuristical impulse of the audience ( for instance , an extended dead reckoning of Brooke ’s face as she see one of Mike ’s stage routines , rather than straightaway cut back to the operation itself ) . There are also plenty of visual jest laced into the photography and mis - en - scene composition ( see : that " anatomic enhancement " scene ) , while the gorgeous cinematography alternates between the vividly wickedness and the mutedly light .
Loosely based on the real experiences of Channing Tatum, Magic Mike is a comedy/drama film by director Steven Soderbergh and written by Reid Carolin. Channing Tatum stars as Michael “Magic Mike” Lane, an entrepreneur, hustler, and professional exotic dancer living in Tampa, FL. When Mike takes on a new protege to show him the hustling life, Mike’s world seems to be on track the way he wants- until a fateful encounter with another dancer’s sister has him re-evaluating his life.
All in all , Magic Miketakes a intimate tale and transform it into something advanced , unique and beautiful to look at ( and I ’m not just talking beefcake , here ) . The great performances outweigh the cliched ( and at time , meandering ) story beats of first - time feature - motion-picture show screenwriter Reid Carolin ’s book , and there is enough humor , quixotic machination - and yes , plenty of compressed dead body - to get off any and everyone home with fun ( of some kind ) having been had .
For an in - depth discussion of the film by the Screen Rant squad check up on out ourMagic Mikeepisode of the SR Underground podcast .
Magic Mikeis now playing in theaters . It is Rated R for permeating sexual content , brief graphic nudity , words and some drug utilisation .
Loosely establish on the genuine experiences of Channing Tatum , Magic Mike is a drollery / dramatic play picture show by director Steven Soderbergh and written by Reid Carolin . Channing Tatum stars as Michael " Magic Mike " Lane , an entrepreneur , hustler , and professional alien dancer live in Tampa , FL . When Mike choose on a new protege to show him the hustling life , Mike ’s world seems to be on track the way he wants- until a black encounter with another terpsichorean ’s sister has him re - evaluating his life .
