By Keeva Stratton
Directed by: Tate Taylor
Starring: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek
Rating: 4.5/5
Based on a novel by Kathryn Stockett
In Mississippi in the 1960s, the civil rights movement is slowly gaining momentum amidst a dominant white culture that propagates fear and division. This momentum is particularly threatening to the white middle-class families who depend on this power balance; enabling them to pay African-American women less than minimum wage, and subjecting them to appalling, slave-like conditions as their nannies, servants and cleaners. But when young writer Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan (Stone) decides that ‘coloured women’ have a powerful story to tell, she risks her own career, social status and safety, in a brave move that will send serious ripples through this emphatically segregationist community.
The Help is a pertinent reminder of the horrors of racism. Beautifully told through the voice of Abigail (Davis), this soul-stirring film is built masterfully on solid performances and exceptional character development. While at times it proves hard to watch, it tempers the darker moments with a welcome sense of humour. Some troubled chapters in history are hard to observe, even via the form of fiction, but they serve as important tales that document the story of humanity, which when told well, bring a new attention to these passages in our past.
Not just a film that tackles the larger issue of racism, The Help also provides a refreshingly honest take on the dynamics of female relationships: from the purely nasty to the wonderfully nurturing. Emma Stone is fast establishing herself as a true talent, and her performance as Skeeter is no exception. Much like Lindsay Lohan before her personal problems consumed her, Stone shows some classic acting traits. She is also well supported by a host of wonderfully larger-than-life characters. From Viola Davis as the resigned, ascerbic Abigail, Allison Janney as the eccentric mother and Bryce Dallas Howard as the wicked Hilly—each bring something truly special to this rich film.
Grab your tissues, your mum and your girlfriends, and see The Help—simply put, it’s soul-restoring cinema.
The Help will be released nationally September 1; look out for some advanced screenings during August.
