Ladies Love His Magic

"Magic Mike"

Actor Channing Tatum got his big break with the film Step Up and since then his career has certainly taken off as his star continues to rise. I haven't seen many of his films from start to finish, the main reason being that they simply don't interest me.  I consider Tatum a celebrity but not much of an actor.  Remember, just because you're in movies doesn't make you an actor.  When looking at the 32 year old celebrity’s latest flick, Magic Mike, on the surface it appears to be another film that would only appeal to the female demographic.  It's just a film that features a bunch of male strippers putting on all their sexiest dance moves to arouse throngs of women of all ages right?  Okay, yes, there are plenty of well-choreographed dance numbers in Magic Mike but let's look beyond the marketing campaign.  The real core of the film deals with what it actually means to live the lifestyle a male stripper and consequences that follow.

Mike (Tatum) is an entrepreneur of sorts.  He has his hands in many different occupations one of which just happens to be male stripper.  What he really wants to do is open his own handcrafted furniture business which he's been saving up for in the past thirteen years.  Mike is now 30.  Nineteen year old Adam (Alex Pettyfer) is going nowhere with his life.  He ruined his chances at maintaining his football scholarship, refuses to get a job that requires a suite and tie, and now finds himself living on his older sister Brooke’s (Cody Horn) couch.  Mike takes Adam under his wing and shows him the exciting and wild life one can lead in the flashy world of male strippers.  Brooke grows quite wary of her brother's new job but Mike reassures her that Adam will be looked after.  But like any impressionable teenager, Adam unfortunately does get caught up in all the perks of being a male stripper.  Perks that include: drugs, money, and women; what nineteen year old wouldn't want to have all that?  The reality is that Mike was once like Adam and now is looking for a change in his life.  Mike not only has to look out for Adam but more importantly, look out for himself too.

Magic Mike offers its audience more than just erotic dancing.  Tatum delivers a charismatic performance as a guy who is not only a fantastic showman when it comes to his night job but also a person who is trying to leave his thongs behind.  What the film is showing us is that strippers are people too and all of them aren't the same.  For some, it's merely a job for them so they can temporarily support themselves.  In fact Magic Mike is semi-biographical in that Tatum was at one point in his life a nineteen year male stripper living in Tampa.  I think that's why Tatum's performance comes off as so genuine and authentic.  Mike is likeable and we are able to understand where he is coming from and where he wants to go.  His character wants to change and that is something we can get behind.  

To add to the realism of the film is its dialogue.  Many scenes feel unscripted giving the performances a more naturalistic quality to them.  I wouldn't be surprised if some of those conversations came out of real life experiences that Tatum had while working.  Much of the dialogue between Adam and Mike or Mike and his stripper buddies comes off as believable everyday language making us a fly on the wall at times.  Director Steven Soderbergh recognizes these opportunities and lets his actors do the work instead of the camera.    

There are other instances though where the dialogue seems flat and wooden.  Anytime Mike interacts with Brooke the film starts to drag.  Her character isn't written terribly well making her relationship with Mike questionable.  I didn't understand the attraction the two of them had for each other.  I think that's a big reason why the film is over two hours in length when it clearly didn't need to be. 

Magic Mike relies heavily on clichés but is saved by Tatum's performance and Soderbergh's suitable direction.  Soderbergh handles the material in such a way that his film doesn't come off as gratuitous or explicit.  He and Tatum show us what can happen when you're part of lifestyle that is looked down upon by society.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much depth the screenplay actually had as well as the acting chops Tatum exhibited.  I still think of him though as a celebrity that needs to pick better projects and work with better directors.  Magic Mike is worth checking out because beauty is only skin deep and this is a film that has much more to offer than men running around on a stage.  Do you think that when purchasing a ticket for Magic Mike at the box office the cashier only accepted one dollar bills?