Magic Mike

Classic Soderbergh, raw like in Traffic and very authentic within the genre, with fascinating sections without music, brilliant off the charts dialogues, and yellowish, depressive camera filters. It is essentially a romantic comedy with some harder scenes, but Soderbergh manages to wrap simplicity into a splendid package. Some sections could be shortened (too tedious and uninteresting for male audiences), but otherwise, it is a quality addition. Brilliant performances, especially by McConaughey and Tatum. (10/12/2012)

On the glittering surface, Soderbergh adores the strippers, while on the inside he laughs at their transference of existential experience into beautiful bodies and powerful experiences. Probably. He doesn’t lead us to a single, unambiguous reading of Magic Mike, so it’s not a problem to see it as being akin to Flashdance (and other dance-themed ‘80s hits), given its story about a poor, not very bright guy who whose handsome face and simulation of sexual movements brought him wealth, fame and drugs. In various imaginative ways, however, the film makes it clear that this is not a typical rise-to-stardom story. The appealing striptease performances, pumped up with loud music and lighting effects, contrast with the simplest possible dialogue scenes devoid of music and camera tricks (long shots, a static camera, a lively and occasionally funny mise-en-scéne). The dialogue, which is more important in terms of its content than as means of expression for the characters, was either superbly written and acted or at least partially improvised. The hesitations, pauses, slips of the tongue, shy glances and bashful gestures transport us back from the flawless world of pumped-up penises and fake police uniforms to awkwardly natural reality. Thanks to his previous experience, Channing Tatum clearly knew best how to depict a man whose exhibitionism gives him a false sense of control, but those whom he thinks are under his control (Alex Pettyfer) or whose uncontrollability leads him to confront his own “emptiness” (Cody Horn) are no less authentic. In the most straightforward sense of the word, the star of the evening is Matthew McConaughey, the personification of the word “macho”, who was finally offered a role requiring nothing more than what he has built his entire acting career on – tough-guy talk and an ostentatious exhibition of his abdominal muscles. Bare male bodies appear frequently in the film, in lengthy shots and – with one exception – without liberating cuts to the face of someone who finds such behaviour inappropriate. I would venture to guess that these scenes will seem unnecessary especially to the men in the audience, which may have been a marketing tactic (the ideal film for a girls’ night out), as well as the director’s attack on the male gaze, on the unwritten rule that calls for much more frequently exposing the bodies of women, whose nudity is conversely presented here without any sensationalism. The constant duplicity and endless uncertainty of whose side Soderbergh is on do not in any way disturb the film’s cohesiveness (which is rather disrupted by a few needless camera exhibitions with an image with qualities other than those of sunny California) and create a peculiar tension behind a story that is seemingly so simple and smooth that it could easily slip by less attentive viewers. The excitement that the film provides is not only sensual (regardless of your preferences), but also cinephilic. 80% (12/07/2012)

Magic Mike is described here as a drama and a comedy, but it doesn't fulfill either genre enough for me to be satisfied with the overall result. On the comedy side of things, I was perhaps most amused by the scene of Channing Tatum like Marilyn Monroe, otherwise the rest were scenes that were more lightly funny, but there were few of them. The serious line of the film also didn't really work, or maybe I'm being too demanding, nevertheless I was expecting something deeper (within reason considering the premise). In short, a film that will absolutely be most appreciated by women and men who get off on metrosexual men dancing in thongs. (14/07/2013)

Steven Soderbergh has (once again) found a fairly solid balance between social statement and commercial comedy where he capitalizes well on the R-rating. Interestingly, when you strip away (no pun intended) all the commercial trappings, hilarious dance choreography and very imaginative visual games with the camera, you are left with the skeleton of a fully functional drama based on well-drawn characters. The dryly humorous British The Full Monty will always be closer to my heart in this respect, but I can also recommend Magic Mike with a clear conscience. (10/02/2023)

Matthew McConaughey for the second time, although this time it's not the main role, but only a supporting role, although he still has quite a lot of space. That's just fine. However, the main attention is focused on Channing Tatum, a guy who has enchanted millions of women. I think it's a great contrast to the skinny, shimmering Pattinson in the sun, who has been trying to convince us lately that he is not just a very bad vampire but also a pretty good actor. Steven Soderbergh directed two films in 2011 that critics evaluate very similarly. These are the films "Contagion" and "Haywire". I must say that "Contagion" is much better and "Haywire" is just a movie that pretends to be more than it actually is. The fact that the main action hero is a woman who beats all the guys is not such a groundbreaking element for me to have to praise the movie. It's the same with the movie "Magic Mike". It's great that Soderbergh tackled a controversial topic that many don't understand, but again, he plays with some glitter that surrounds his name, but in the end, he doesn't deliver what is expected of him. Still, it's better than "Haywire". Male stripping is often art for the protagonists, sometimes work, for the female audience it seems to be a great experience, for many uninvolved people, it's completely incomprehensible performance when many wonder what these women actually see in it when they don't even have the opportunity to play with what remains hidden most of the time. I won't answer that question, I'm not a woman, but I think the environment is captured very well here, even with a scene that shows a little more than a puritan viewer could bear. Well, serves him right. I liked the film, the environment is captured wonderfully, but as soon as we go a little further, it's still just a film about how the cabaret collective doesn't work, how there are divisions, how dreams are not fulfilled, and how love solves everything. Yes, when it comes to the romantic note, I definitely expected a little more from Soderbergh than I got. Maybe it's just because I have a slightly higher opinion of him than he actually deserves. "Magic Mike" rather confirms that he can make quite an impressive spectacle, but that something is missing for perfection. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/11/deja-vu-fred-claus-oko-dravce-penelope.html (02/03/2013)