North Texas Daily

Preston Barta / Film Critic

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

Director: Lee Daniels

Starring: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo

Rating: 4/5

After much success with 2009’s “Precious: Based on the Book ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” director Lee Daniels returns with his own name in the title of a movie that tells the incredible and true story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. While the script may seem sappy and uneven at times, Daniels’ gut-wrenching narrative never suffers from a dull moment thanks to its historical allurement and powerful all-star cast.

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” opens tonight at 8 p.m.

“Jobs”

Director: Joshua Michael Stern

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad and Dermot Mulroney

Rating: 2.5/5

“Jobs,” a biographical drama based on the story of Steve Jobs’ ascension from college dropout into one of the most revered and creative entrepreneurs of the 20^th century, is a missed opportunity. While the performances are decent enough and it provides its audience with great information about Jobs’ professional arc from his days at Atari to becoming the head of Apple, the lazy and unfocused script limits itself in so many areas and never really dives into what made him a great technology leader.

“Jobs” opens tonight at 9 p.m.

NTDaily Interview: Actor Josh Gad and Director Joshua Michael Stern Talk “Jobs” from NTDaily on Vimeo.