Review of The Help (2011) by Jens T — 06 Dec 2012

Tate Taylor's civil rights movement drama The Help is set in the early 60s in Jackson, Mississippi. Where the young reporter Skeeter (Emma Stone) just have come home after graduating at the university.

She want's to make it big, and decides to write a book about the help (the African-American servants) and about their hard lives, low payment and the constant racism from their white employers. Skeeter also befriends many of them, specially the old Aibileen (Viola Davis) who have been down the road herself, and she sees herself as the mother of the child she's taking care of because their parents are so busy.

I really enjoyed The Help, specially the cast of all the talented actresses. Some are lovable, some of them we hate with all our hearts, and some might be over the top, like Jessica Chastain's performance.

But it's Viona Davis and Octavia Spencer who really steals the show, and one of them is probably taking home the Oscar. Emma Stone makes a solid performance as the films observational character. And also there's also worth to mention Bryce Dallas Howard's performance as the snobbish, arrogant and racist southern lady Hilly Holbrook, a person we all can hate, and have no feelings or sympathies for what so ever.

And also Sissy Spacek makes a funny snappy supporting performance.There's no doubt that The Help has a good and strong female cast, while the men is just used as manikins and subjects for women. The film is not racist or anything, the only people that is left out might be the male gender.

I'm not angry of this, it's just an observation. It's our men's turn to see how the women felt in earlier times. With a length of two hours and twenty minutes, this movie might feel to long at the end, but it's intensive in the middle.

There's no doubt that this is a chic flick, but I loved it and all the characters and it's plot, although it's feel-good, but why not? Thumbs up.