They say behind every stripper is a real person with a story to tell. And sometimes, behind a male stripper movie is a film with a good narrative to convey. Magic Mike is not being marketed as a film with a good story to tell; no, it’s being sold almost exclusively to women looking for a rollicking GNO (Girl’s Night Out) at the movies.
This weekend, the women made it rain at the box office with their dollar bills, hoping to catch more than just a glimpse at Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey Alex Pettyfer and Joe Mangianello. They got way more than they bargained for.
Depending on whom you talk to, Magic Mike is a letdown. Some women we know who saw the movie were disappointed that it wasn’t what they signed up for. I’m here to clear things up for women and men alike.
This isn’t going to be a film review, because that’s not my thing; my good man Rene Gross handles that in his Cinema Scoop column. I just thought I’d shed some light on the subject, as a guy who somehow found himself in the theatre watching the film.
How did your wife convince you to see the movie with her, you ask? Well, it’s not that simple.
We arrived at the West Kelowna 8 theatre (which is a great operation you MUST check out) a little early, with more than enough time to spare before Ted started. Guys, I know you don’t believe me, but we really did purchase tickets for Ted. However, I mixed up the times for the showings, and upon arrival we realized that Ted wouldn’t be starting for another 45 minutes, while Magic Mike was only a few minutes from liftoff. I’m not exactly the most patient person, so Magic Mike (and my wife) won out.
I figure hey, the movie is directed by Steven Soderbergh, so I’m sure there’ll be some artistic merit to it. And artistic merit there was. In spades.
As the film progressed, I realized that this is not a chick flick. It’s not even a romantic comedy. Nor is it even any type of comedy. Magic Mike is a dark drama, with some well-choreographed stripper routines thrown in to establish legitimacy. The cinematography is very Breaking Bad-esque, as is some of the film’s storylines for that matter. It’s well acted, solidly paced, and held my interest (don’t go there, I know what you’re thinking, you dirty-minded readers) throughout.
If it weren’t for the ending, this would be a solid contender for one of the year’s best films. I won’t go into details, but the last few minutes of the film felt incredibly rushed, as if the studio wanted to cut down on the film’s running time and chopped the last 10 pages of the script.
So guys: no need to worry about seeing this film. You may need to be just the slightest bit comfortable with your masculinity as you take your seats, but by the time the movie is underway you’ll be happy you went. For every hot guy in the film, there’s another hot chick (sometimes naked).
Take away the stripping routines, and you’re basically left with a guy movie.
Did you see Magic Mike this weekend? Let me know what you thought and email me!
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.