Monday, August 22, 2011

The Help

The Help
Directed by: Tate Taylor
Written by: Tate Taylor

Plot:
A look at what  happens when a southern town's unspoken code of rules and behavior is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship

Review:
I did not expect to be writing this review anytime soon or at all for that matter but I went to go see the movie with my mother. The mother-son time was great, but the movie not so much. Don't get me wrong it was enjoyable and had some strong moments and performances but in overall it was a little cheesy for my tastes.

If you want to see a film filled with great acting then I recommend watching this film. The trio of Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer were all spectacular. Emma Stone, who was looking good as always, stood out the least of the three actresses. This is not because she wasn't great but because this film was about The Help not her character Skeeter. Viola Davis narrated the film as well as starring in the film. The trailers make it seem like a Emma Stone driven film but this is not true at all. Viola Davis carries this movie. She stole a couple scenes when talking about her past hardships which left my mother teary eyed. We could see a best acting nomination for Viola come Oscar season. Octavia Spencer played another maid who was best friends with Viola's character. She had great chemistry with Viola Davis and adds some sass to the film.

The reason why this film was just decent rather than great is because the film revolved around Emma Stone's character obtaining the stories of the help rather than it being about the help and their stories. You get a little taste of the help's hardships but it does not dive deep enough into their characters. It stayed in shallow waters and just scratched the surface. It had this cute light hearted tone the entire way and I think if it got a little darker and showed the hardships rather then just being told the hardships it would have made a more powerful movie.

This film still made its point clearly. I should also add that it got the point across slowly as well. With a run time of 146 minutes it could have been 30 minutes shorter and the film would have been just as effective. I'm glad I saw the film, but it is a film I don't plan on watching again.

Rating: 6/10

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