The Help

You'll laugh, you'll cringe and you might just shed a tear

You'll laugh, you'll cringe and you might just shed a tear at this moving, if somewhat formulaic, tale of battling racial prejudice in the face of overwhelming social resistance. And the performance from Viola Davis might just be an early Oscar tip.

The hype…
A drama dealing with serious issues in an accessible way is archetypal awards bait, and 'The Help' is no different. Set in '60s Jackson, Mississippi, the themes of battling racial prejudice and finding who you are will likely chime with most audiences, but it's the performance of Viola Davis that we've been told to look out for. 'The Help' has already topped the U.S. box-office for several weeks and made a ton of money to boot.

The story…
1960s Jackson, Mississippi, is a hotbed for racial prejudice. Slavery may no longer be allowed, but the black population are less than second-class citizens, reduced to living in poverty-stricken ghettos scraping by as maidservants to the more affluent white population.

But not everyone is so backward. Aspiring young journalist 'Skeeter' Phelan (Emma Stone) is tired of being told to find a husband, and instead is looking to break into the publishing world. When she is finally put in touch with a New York publisher, she struggles to find subject matter to excite her - until she realises the goldmine of stories and social commentary stored by 'the help'.

It's then down to the courageous efforts of stoic Aibileen (Viola Davis) and her sassy friend Minny (Octavia Spencer) to risk life and limb to tell the truth about their lives. But if dour local racist Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) has anything to do with it, the word will never get out.

The breakdown…
You can't argue with a film whose central message lauds the courage, conviction and vision of those who fight to expose such poisonous racial tensions, and 'The Help' gives you no option to do so anyway.

Plucky Skeeter is made eminently likeable by director (and occasional actor) Tate Taylor. Free-spirited, fun and dedicated to her cause, she exudes a warmth that even hardened cynics will be unable to resist. Credit for this must go as much to Emma Stone as to her director, as the actress takes a relatively simple, shallow character and imbues so much energy and willpower that she springs to life in full force.

Just as productive is pantomime villain Hilly Holbrook, who is delivered with a dash of Cruella De Vil by Bryce Dallas Howard. It's a thankless task to elicit the audience's jeers, but she goes into the role with gusto and does the job well.

But, as predicted, Viola Davis steals the show as tortured stoic Aibileen Clark. The only character with real depth, her struggle to survive in the face of the direst circumstances is portrayed with power and nuance through the intelligent performance of Davis, who holds back the impact acting for the scenes when it can really hit home with a fierce tug at the heartstrings.

Unfortunately, her issues are never explored to their darkest depths. It would have been perfectly reasonable to delve deeper into her sorrows, and, in fact, into the consequences of the actions of her more fun and frivolous friend Minny.

But the extent of racial hatred, and the shades of grey in between, are merely touched upon in quite conventional storylines: a disappointing love affair, an earth-shaking assassination, a plucky friend and a welcome change of heart in the family all add up to predictable dabbling on the fringes of the issues.

The verdict…

It doesn't tread much new ground, or even try to shine a light into the dingy corners or humanity's darker sides; but it is a warm, accessible story about fighting prejudice at any cost, portrayed with energy and intensity by a fantastic cast.

Rating: 3.5/5

'The Help' is due to be released in the UK on 26 October. Certificate: 12A