An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960's decides to write a book detailing the African American Maid's point of view on the White families they work for, and their hardships they go through on a day to day basis.
The Help manages to be both moving and thought-provoking.
The whole thing’s about as subtle as a size 11 in the ear. But you have no idea about who these characters really are. Still, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer are great as two of the most put-upon maids.
A simplistic portrayal of historic race relations boosted by terrific performances from some of the best actresses working in Hollywood today. Sure, it’s corny, but it mostly works.
Gives in to sun-dappled schmaltz towards the end, but satisfying all the same.
The Help not only has its cake and eats it, it makes short work of the fried chicken, grits and sweet potato pie, too. That’s a hard trick to pull off, but these girls – with Mr Taylor’s help, of course – make it look deliciously easy.
Powerful, terrifically acted by all concerned and deeply emotional in places, this is a fine, laudable piece of story-telling.
Suffers from an obsequious lust for stereotypes.
Terrifically performed, with enough humour and heart that you’ll ignore its flaws.
Viewed as an airbrushed, Dettol-heavy fairytale...it's rousingly effective.
This material would surely have worked better in an HBO-style miniseries than in a one-off feature.
The Help filters the harsh realities of the Civil Rights movement through the experiences of a white protagonist and, in the process, manages to transform a tale of struggle into a feel-good piece of fluff.
What unfolds is a fascinating and finely-judged relationship drama as the two worlds mix properly for the first time, blessed with vivid, outsize characters and some wonderful, often very funny performances.
Hokey, but a hit.
The Help could well be the first drama about racial oppression to induce nostalgia in mainstream audiences.
The stories of humiliation and exploitation the black women tell (and the film shows) are deeply moving, and there's a fine performance by Viola Davis as Skeeter's main connection. But the movie is facile, not a little patronising, and it ends up as crude and sentimental.
A faithful, heart-warming adaptation that will satisfy fans of the book, divert the uninitiated and tickle the Academy’s fancy. You’ll never look at a chocolate pie the same way again.
All in all then, while The Help may pack less of a punch than Paul Haggis’ Crash and Spielberg’s The Color Purple, it has enough humour and genuine warmth to deflect from its weaknesses.
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General release. Check local listings for show times.