The Help Review

Tate Taylor’s adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel ‘The Help’ is a big puddle of emotion elegantly crafted into a very watchable film. I have to admit it wasn’t a film that necessarily appealed to me at first, however it’s a very accessible and no frills experience. 

The story comes from Stockett’s 2009 novel about a budding reporter, Skeeter who finds her first story in the lives of the hired ‘help’. The story is set in the early 1960’s where all the hired help were black woman who were oppressed and treated no more than slaves. Skeeter follows the lives of two woman she knows; Aibileen and Minny who struggle daily against segregation and the wrath of their white female masters. 

The film goes for the heartstrings and it makes no bones about it. Director Tate Taylor builds us up with loveable characters and takes his time to gently knock us down with their tragedy. 

Emma Stone plays a convincing Skeeter whose character makes an interesting journey from naive graduate to an employable writer. Her affection and hope for Aibileen and Minny is subtle and touching. There’s plenty of comedy provided from Octavia Spencer’s sassy Minny, who only just avoids falling into caricature and cliche. 

However it’s Jessica Chastain’s unstable Celia Foote that captured my heart. Foote is a troubled woman who finds herself alienated from her new found social class but finds friendship in her hired help Minny. Chastain’s portrayal is authentic and heart-warmingly funny. 

This film is a great story that gives a warm fuzzy feeling inside...

However for me it raises questions about the nature of emotion in film and why as an audience member we become so involved. Is it the story or the film that creates the emotion? I would argue that in this case it’s the story that creates the emotion and the film is a medium and support for it. Does this mean it’s a good film then? I would argue that it’s doing it’s job well as being a medium for storytelling but in terms of looking at film making as a craft and art form it comes across as being very middle of the road.