Review of The Help (2011) by Jasher — 10 Aug 2011

I can honestly say I thought this movie was going to be incredibly sappy and cheesy, and was not much looking forward to seeing it. While it did tidy-up the plot a bit too neatly towards the end, for the most part it felt surprisingly real, at least within the trappings of the film.

You should go into the movie thinking that it is a work of fiction based on a real time period in U.S. history, and not look for everything to seem absolutely realistic within the context of that actual time period in U.

S. history. The acting was superb across the board. This should be the film that makes Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain stars; their characters felt like breakout roles for them. This should be the film that makes hearthrobs out Chris Lowell and Mike Vogel, two stunningly gorgeous men who seem to have real acting chops to match.

This film should remind us what cinematic treasures Cissy Spacek and Cicely Tyson are. This film shows that Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard have more impressive acting ranges than one might think based on their past work alone.

However, the star of this film is Viola Davis, who is deserving of serious Oscar-buzz. Emma Stone may have top-billing for the film, but Ms. Davis's Aibileen Clark is the heart and soul of the film. You laugh with her, you cry with her, you get angry with her.

Its one of those rare performances that breaks your heart and at the same time gives your heart hope. It is one of the best performances I have seen in a film in awhile, and should vault Ms. Davis on to the A-List of actresses working today.

Besides the performances, the sets, costumes and all other technical aspects of the film seemed stunningly authentic. As I said before, if there is anything to fault this film for, its that the storylines wrap-up a little too neatly at the end.

It also may bother some that the Emma Stone character Skeeter leaves for NYC while Minny and Aibileen stay behind in Mississippi, but at least the filmmakers take the time to address that situation in the film, with Minny and Aibileen urging Skeeter to go against her feelings that she is betraying them by leaving them there.

In the end, she leaves and Minny and Aibileen are still in Mississippi, still dealing with the harshness of discrimination. Yes, that frankly sucks, but it is probably fairly realistic to that time period, and there is some hope given to Aibileen and Minny at the film's end, hope for a better life with greater dignity.

This film was made to be inspiring and uplifting, and it left me with those feelings in spades.