12A
Directed by Tate Taylor
Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer
Set in 1960s Jackson Mississippi, The Help is the story of
two black maids, Aibileen and Minny, who join the civil rights movement with
the leadership of young writer Skeeter. She interviews the maids in secret and
then writes a book from the point of view of the help about the shocking way white
families treat their employees. It’s a moving story that shows how courage and
doing the right thing can overcome outrageous prejudice and inequality.
In most aspects, The Help is an excellent film. You’d
struggle to find a better array of actresses who each bring something different
to the table. Minny (Spencer) provides the humour in the form of mischief and
tantrums. The heart of the movie is Viola Davis as the wise mother figure
Aibileen. Some of the most powerful scenes come from her relationship with a
white baby, Mae Mobley, and we see how she looks after the child better than
her own mother can. Jessica Chastain's character, Celia, literally lights up the
screen with her bubbly personality. As one of the few genuinely good women, she
is terribly sweet, endearing and a pleasure to watch. It seems to us that Emma Stone’s acting has
been overlooked in the nominations this year as her sparky portrayal of Skeeter
is the glue that holds the piece together. The attention to historic detail is
evident in the set and costume design which look beautiful and visually
stunning.
However there are flaws. Other than being half an hour too
long, as a viewer it can be hard to believe these characters as real people. The
mean women are unbelievably nasty whereas the good characters seem too good to
be true. Although a film would be nothing without the villains and heroines,
the characters do seem to come across like caricatures and you wonder how the
attitudes of all these people bought up in the same environment can vary so
greatly. As well as this, it is a shame that strong and powerful ladies such as
Aibileen and Minny need a white girl to stand up for them and they mound an
incredible amount of gratitude upon her for doing what is right
With all that said, despite the flaws, The Help is a great
film. The acting is superb, it’s funny, powerful and massively moving. If you
want to watch an instantly likable film, that is really well made and simply
portrays a period of historic significance: The Help in definitely for you.
Just keep some tissues handy!
Rating: 7
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