Magic Mike

The world of strippers has been explored many times in film but usually from a female perspective. It is therefore refreshing to see it from the male side.
Steven Soderbergh is a director I admire for the variety of different subject matters that he tackles in his films. He can not only make films about hard hitting issues but make light hearted and broad appealing films as well. I think he is the perfect choice to make a film like this. In lesser hands it could have been a more sleazy affair but Steven manages to make it seem normal and a job you would be proud to do. It is supposed to be loosely based on actor Channing Tatum's experiences as a stripper before he became an actor, so there is a level of authenticity to the story. Reid Carolin has done an excellent job with the script and made the characters feel like ordinary people doing a very regular job. These guys dance for a living and take their clothes off in the process. They do not get fully nude but it is still very titillating for the audience. This is perhaps one of the differences between men and woman and what they expect from their strippers. Women like a bit more razzle dazzle where as men are content with the clothes just coming off. While the story is a bit cliched and goes in a fairly predictable direction it has many strong and interesting characters. Structurally I thought Adam gets into the business a little too easily with Mike getting him a job rather quick but this can be over looked. I did like the film's dialogue. It felt very natural and unstructured like people are having a normal conversation and not something pre-written. The film is also very funny and is not above showing some of the strange things the industry can get into.
Channing Tatum is certainly a very charming presence on screen. While his character is meant to look pretty, there is more to him than just taking his clothes off. I feel he has grown as an actor and just keeps getting better with all the roles that he takes on. He is becoming skilled at both  comedy and drama. Alex Pettyfer is sadly stuck with a fairly dull character. He seems to spend most of his time moping around and playing a typical lazy teenager. In that respect he does an excellent job but I was hoping he would have more to work with. Cody Horn has a very natural presence as Brooke, Mike's love interest. She feels like a normal person and not an actress. The big surprise though is Matthew McConaughey. I think this is one of the best roles that he has done. His stage work is brilliant with the way he MC's the performances and gets the crowd worked up. I feel that if he the marketing people do their job he could get some recognition come awards season.
While I know that on the surface the film will only appeal to women and gay men looking for some eye candy, if you scratch the surface you will find a fascinating look at an industry we do not get to see portrayed on film very often.