Review of The Help (2011) by Geo T — 01 Mar 2016

Breaching the Racial Divide.

In 1960s Jackson Mississippi racial discrimination was the norm. There was an indisputable social order and divide. People had roles, knew their place and lived life to the letter of how it should be done. Blacks were second class citizens with no recourse. At best, employers took them for granted, at worst they were treated as subhuman.

When southern society girl Eugenia 'Skeeter' Phelan (Emma Stone) returns home from college she is determined to become a writer. Reluctantly hired by the local paper to write a cleaning advice column for housewives, the pampered young adult is at a loss as her nanny has departed service leaving her needing practical information.

Breaking with the dictions of societal convention, Skeeter approaches her best friend for assistance and strikes an unlikely friendship with her housekeeper Aibileen (Viola Davis). A warm middle-aged woman who despite her own personal hardships has dedicated her life to raising white children, Aibileen is caring and genuinely loves each child within her charge.

As the era's societal injustice continues to escalate, leading white-gloved town socialite and racial fear monger Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) takes pleasure in doing lunch, playing bridge, dictating convention and belittling her elderly mother's private nanny Minny (Octavia Spencer). However when pushed to far, the subjugated Minny reaches the point of explosion, baking a comeuppance pie.

Uninspired by the column, bored with the mundane socialite-lives of her pompously proper friends and disgusted by the rampant hypocrisy in which they treat their domestic aids, the disillusioned and outspoken Skeeter decides to embark on a secret writing project. Influenced by a New York publisher, Skeeter sets out to write the revolutionary true story about the people who thanklessly job it is to prop up these prominent southern families; the help.

Through her connection to Aibileen, Skeeter manages to create an improbable alliance, befriending those in the tight-knit black community. Whilst collecting their stories in secret, a remarkable sisterhood of sincere friendship emerges highlighting the transparent world to which Skeeter actually belongs.

Instilling confidence, the courage to transcend their station and breach the titles that define them, more and more women come forward to tell their stories. With so much to say, the town comes face-to-face with the changing times and its own fallible morality.

A beautifully observed and inspiring feel good fable adapted from Kathryn Stockett's 2009 debut novel, The Help is a sobering but safe film about a volatile subject. Its many layers provide an engrossing glimpse into the universal truths and limitations of humanity whilst graciously sidestepping the need for sentimentality.

Sharp satirical comedy actress Stone feels a little too contemporary outside her usual stereotype but rises to the gritty challenging; Howard is dastardly good as the patronising and despicable social ruler, whilst Jessica Chastain's performance as an ostracized white-trash blonde outcast is infectious, fragile and innocently endearing.

Davis is a dramatic force of nature conveying the largest of emotion in the subtlest expression, Spencer is multifaceted with flawless timing, whilst Allison Janney and Sissy Spacek bring light-hearted but genuinely touching performances to the delightfully strong cast.

If change begins with a whisper, this movie screams out of the movie landscape as a wonderfully poignant and superbly crafted melodrama. A harmonious balance between depth of content and witty delivery it deals with pain but doesn't care to be painful.

The Verdict : Optimistic and uplifting about the affection and intimacy buried beneath seemingly impersonal household connections, The Help is mature cinema providing a genuinely gifted insight into a time often overlooked, bound for the Oscars podium.

Published: The Queanbeyan Age.

Date of Publication: 09/09/2011.