The Agency's Posts

Taylor Swift's 'Red': 1.21 million in first-week sales: The tally is in, andTaylor Swift’s “Red” album sold 1.208 million copies....
Read More>

For James Bond's 'Skyfall,' a delicate balancing act: NEW YORK -- Early in “Skyfall,”Judi Dench's M pulls aside our embattled hero,....
Read More>

'The Loneliest Planet' is a revealing journey: Gael Garcia Bernal and Hani Furstenberg star as backpacking couple whose relationship is tested....
Read More>

Review: 'Fun Size' is a decent treat: 'Fun Size,' starring Victoria Justice and Jane Levy, is a Halloween holiday, not horror, movie....
Read More>

'Flight,' with Denzel Washington, would be tough sell to airline: People who obsess about airline safety will doubtlessly be drawn to “Flight,” Nov.....
Read More>

Taste buds and 'tude: The food and mood link: Research sheds light on how food affects mood and the flip side: how emotions impact taste.....
Read More>

Review: 'The Girl' zeros in on an obsessive Alfred Hitchcock: The tale about the dark side of director Alfred Hitchcock turns into a not-quite persuasive....
Read More>

Book review: Pete Townshend's memoir 'Who I Am': Pete Townshend has always beenrock 'n' roll's reluctant warrior. The driving force behind....
Read More>

5 Questions: Choreographer Alice Alyse on dancing for fitness: For those of us not blessed with the footwork ofFred Astaire, the notion of taking a dance....
Read More>

Taylor Swift makes a grown-up move on 'Red': The pop star has prided herself on writing her own material. But on her new album, she is happy....
Read More>

Jamie Foxx says 'Django' will make us see slavery differently: The “Django Unchained” trailer thathit the Web last weekhighlights a number of....
Read More>

Model Moves: Boot Camp: MODELMOVES: BootCamp Upcoming Model Moves Boot Campsbegin December 1st in NYC! Having been a....
Read More>
'Magic Mike': It's a living for Steven Soderbergh's troupe of male strippers ✭✭✭ 1/
Posted on: 06/30/12
Share/Save/Bookmark


 It's crazy to oversell "Magic Mike,"or fluff it up into something its makers never intended. It is not a major motion picture. It is not searing melodrama, though in story outline terms — the least interesting terms by which to engage with director Steven Soderbergh's loose, funky and blithely engaging workplace comedy — it resembles "Showgirls" with showboys, though without the hysteria or the punitive humiliation.

So what is it, then? Inspired by star and producer Channing Tatum's own experience as a male stripper, "Magic Mike" is "42nd Street,""On the Waterfront," the aforementioned "Showgirls" and a hundred other movies neatly tucked into one little thong. This nimble diversion makes up for a lot of higher-minded or lower-aiming Hollywood junk of late.

The characters don't treat one another like punch lines or idiots. There are no real villains in the piece. Purest corn, "Magic Mike" nonetheless has a human pulse and a sense of humor to go along with its willingness to entertain.
 

Tatum first worked with the frenetically prolific Soderbergh on the eccentric and (metaphorically) stripped-down"Haywire,"which went nowhere and back with the public. I'd be surprised if "Magic Mike" met the same fate. When the project's right, as it was with Soderbergh's "Ocean's 11" remake (and, with diminishing returns, the sequels), the director has a knack for revitalizing the oldest cliches in the book, while setting them at an aesthetic remove.

Soderbergh's also terrific at letting his actors play up to the best of their abilities, whatever their abilities. This is a polite way of saying Tatum, as the construction worker by day who works constructively in a different line of work by night, has never been better. Even if he's not much of an actor — when things get serious, Tatum appears to be giving birth, painfully, to the simplest of lines of dialogue — he's increasingly comfortable and likable on screen.

COMMENTS

Be the first to post a comment!


Post A Comment:




  • It's 2020! Start booking roles in commercials, fashion, films, theater and more with The Agency Online!

  • NEW WORKSHOP with Barbara Barna & Sean De Simone!

    Hi Everyone and Happy Summer! Sean at Sean De Simone casting and Barbara Barna are teaming up for a super informative and fun Hosting for Home Shopping workshop. A great opportunity for established or experienced TV Hosts and Experts interested in learning how to get noticed and how to get in....
  • MASTERCLASS W. Robin Carus & David John Madore

    A Special Offer for the Agency Community, from one of our favorite NYC Casting Directors! EMAIL FacetheMusicWithUs@gmail.com Or Eventbrite To Sign Up! Class Size is Limited.
  • Don't Fall Into The Comparison Trap

    Hi Everyone! As the second installment in an ongoing series of features by the Agency's amazing community, here's some sage advice from our own Regina Rockensies; a humble (& awesome)veteran we've had the pleasure of working with for a long time. Have an excellent week! : ) - The Agency....
  • One Model's Agreement

    Hi Everyone! As the first piece in an ongoing series of original articles by the Agency community, here's a short reflection on some of the values of professional acting & modeling that we can all keep in mind for our next casting. Good luck on your castings &shoots this week! : ) -....




 
home       castings&news       privacy policy       terms and conditions      contact us      browser tips
Official PayPal Seal