Oscar Watch - Review : The Help

Although 'The Help' plays it safe regarding racial discrimination, but Davis and Spencer bring their best in the film.

'The Help' is currently among the nine nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture this year, and it is more or less Tate Taylor's debut film as a director. The film is based on Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name, and stars Viola Davis and Emma Stone among the leads and Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastian among the supporting cast.  We are well away from the modern era where US has a black president, or where thousands of Americans admire Oprah Winfrey.

Aibileen (Viola Davis) is a maid working in early 1960s, raising a young white toddler girl, for a highly discriminating racist family. Her mother Elizabeth Leefolt (Ahna O'Reilly) hardly cares anything about her own baby - neither she wants to. Aibileen is in-charge of very aspect of housekeeping - ranging from dusting to cooking - and raising children as well. Aibileen is discriminated each day, and yet she is constantly repeating "Yes Ma'am".

Minny (Spencer) is a sassy out-spoken maid and a complete opposite to Aibileen. She worked for Hilly (Dallas Howard), a snooty, racist lead of white neighborhood, but for her naive behavior she is fired. And then we have Eugenia (Emma Stone), a graduate return to Mississippi, working on a book 'The Help' - which presents black maids' perspective of raising children of whites.

The Help presents a pretty censored version of racial discrimination prevalent in North America back past few decades. Tate Taylor's screenplay and presentation is family-friendly - which of-course dilutes the nature of such a volatile subject matter. Running at 146 minutes, The Help is rather slow paced - but it flows pretty well. Thomas Newman's score resembles 'American Beauty' a bit, but it works wonderfully.

If The Help is to be remembered for anything, it should be for Viola Davis and outstanding supporting cast. Davis is so natural and convincing - her portrayal is full of thousand emotions. Her scenes with little baby girl are gems. Octavia Spencer's comic timing is awesome and Jessica Chastian's turn of lovable, fashionable Celia Foote redefines the word naive. Stone is pretty good too, but she is outshined by the above mentioned three ladies. The film should win Best Actress Oscar this year. Davis deserves - her deeply human portrayal of Aibileen is worth every award this year.  

The Help is flawed - but the cast is so outstanding that these flaws are completely over-shadowed. Tate Taylor's direction is certainly not as convincing as Viola Davis' performance, but The Help is worth a watch for sure.

3.5/5