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The Help - 27/10/2011 7:18:07 PM

Empire Admin

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Post #: 1

I'm confused?!?!? - 27/10/2011 7:18:07 PM

X Heart Tolle

Posts: 7
Joined: 14/1/2006
From: London

I'm a little confused how can a film that Anna Smith describes as.....and I quote "an exceptionally well-made drama with a quality cast, top performances, a moving story, and fizzy dialogue ".....can only garner 3 stars????? Yes, IT IS questionable that the maids only get the courage to stand up because of Emma Stones Character; but this was Mississippi in the 1960's! Not New York or Washington DC. It's obvious that [historically] a black person could have also have been the catalyst for this change in the maids, but that would have been a different movie.
I watched this film in Oslo this week. The entire cinema was silent, and transfixed by this movie. And when the lights came on, most were still crying. I was SO moved by this film. It is an wonderful piece of cinema. Viola Davis was astonishing. If ever there was a 5 star film, it's this one.

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Post #: 2

RE: I'm confused?!?!? - 28/10/2011 11:24:36 AM

xxdelta

Posts: 6
Joined: 26/10/2011

A heart-warming film with a good degree of humour in it. Well worth watching

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Post #: 3

**Essential Viewing** - 18/11/2011 10:09:20 PM

soulfood

Posts: 54
Joined: 6/10/2005

One of best movie of 2011.
And all Performances in this Movie are Outstanding .

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Post #: 4

Good movie - 29/11/2011 9:09:12 PM

bereski

Posts: 264
Joined: 11/7/2007
From: Torun

Review not quite accurate.

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Post #: 5

Great but not as great as you think it is. - 29/12/2011 11:38:58 PM

ARmy2510

Posts: 107
Joined: 21/4/2008

Great but not as great as you think it should be? Still, I love this movie. OUSTANDING performances and lot of good humour from Octavia Spencer.

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Post #: 6

Conflicted - 3/1/2012 5:46:40 PM

Turd Ferguson

Posts: 70
Joined: 24/2/2011

I really enjoyed this movie, but after thinking about things a little more when the movie was done, I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. It did seem to trivialize many aspects of African American life at the time. That said, it's a good watch but you may want to take it with a grain of salt as well.

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Post #: 7

- 3/1/2012 11:12:21 PM

TheGodfather

Posts: 5092
Joined: 21/10/2005
From: Sin City

Watched yesterday:

The Help
Mississippi, 1960`s. The white wannabe-journalis Skeeter (Emma Stone) can`t longer sit back and do nothing about how the black maids are being mis-/abused by their bosses. She asks one of the maids to tell her story for a book she`s writing about the lives and wrongdoings that they suffer from.

The fact that Kathryn Stockett`s novel on wich the film is based became a bestseller in America after being praised by Oprah Winfrey tells you pretty much all you need to know.It is indeed a tearjerker, a sad story. And therefor of course perfect for Hollywood and the Oscar race that`s ahead of us. Because that`s really what this film is made for. Of course it has all been polished: the costumes are really clean and just a bit too nice, the white ladies are all wearing just a little bit too much make-up, their homes are just a bit too big and (although it`s of course sad to say) the black maids are just a little bit too happy and look just a little bit too good.

For the acting performances the cast will of course be winning a lot of prices this awards season. The titular Help is being portrayed really strong and convincingly by Viola Davis. And Emma Stone, finally, shows that she really can stand her ground in a more serious film. But personally I found Bryce Dallas-Howard as the ultra mean and racist boos of one of the maid`s the best of all. A horrifying role for sure but one that does gets your attention every single time she`s on screen. Terrifyingly terrific.

A very solid drama that of course is predictable but, above all, is very very well acted. That then, is thé biggest plus of the whole thing.

8,0/10

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Post #: 8

The Help - 23/2/2012 10:45:38 PM

lynnshep

Posts: 428
Joined: 17/1/2007
From: USA

Great acting and laughs. Too long, Derivative. Focuses too much on Skeeter instead of the maids. Could have used some editing.

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Post #: 9

The Help - 2/9/2012 8:25:24 PM

Fluke Skywalker

Posts: 9540
Joined: 23/4/2006
From: the dark side of the sun

quote:

ORIGINAL: X Heart Tolle

I'm a little confused how can a film that Anna Smith describes as.....and I quote "an exceptionally well-made drama with a quality cast, top performances, a moving story, and fizzy dialogue ".....can only garner 3 stars?????

I have to agree with this, The Help is four stars for me. It's just so well acted and moving you have to award it at least 4/5. The Oscar wins don't suprise as it's a classic awards-friendly movie but don't let that put you off it's actually really well made. It manages to avoid the cheesy sentimentality and obvious attempts at tear jearking that could have easily surfaced with a story like this - but it'll still make you blub be warned.

The girls definately own this film though, the men are bit part characters that can't live up to the super line up of talented actresses and performances on show.

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Post #: 10

RE: The Help - 2/9/2012 8:39:34 PM

elab49

Posts: 51544
Joined: 1/10/2005

'Simplistic' 'corny' 'flawed' 'mostly works' - choose a few different words you get a different view on 3 stars. Add the whole distasteful white saviour aspect and it's understandable some knock it down further.

As for the Oscar? Octavia Spencer gave the exact same sassy routine in The Big Bang Theory. Undeserved award IMO.

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Post #: 11

RE: The Help - 2/9/2012 8:49:09 PM

Fluke Skywalker

Posts: 9540
Joined: 23/4/2006
From: the dark side of the sun

quote:

ORIGINAL: elab49

'Simplistic' 'corny' 'flawed' 'mostly works' - choose a few different words you get a different view on 3 stars. Add the whole distasteful white saviour aspect and it's understandable some knock it down further.

As for the Oscar? Octavia Spencer gave the exact same sassy routine in The Big Bang Theory. Undeserved award IMO.

Skeeter wasn't really that much of a saviour though she was just exposing an injustice. The final scene sees the main character forced out of her job, there's no happy ending here.

Also It's not as if the Civil Rights movement in America had no backing whatsover from white people, there were significant numbers who were on the side of equality so it's not as if it's something which couldn't have happened.

I didn't think it was corny at all but maybe a touch simplistic with Bryce Dallas-Howard's cardboard cut out racist baddie.

On the note of Octavia Spencer I actually thought Viola Davis won the Oscar!

< Message edited by Fluke Skywalker -- 2/9/2012 8:50:22 PM >

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Post #: 12

RE: The Help - 2/9/2012 9:17:01 PM

elab49

Posts: 51544
Joined: 1/10/2005

Although my post was more about the 3 star thing, I think this is different to an acknowledgement that all races took part in the civil rights movement. The whole thing left a bit of a bad taste for me.

I'd have rather Davis won the Oscar than who did - but she was still joint 3rd of the offerings in the year for me. In not a great choice of supporting nods I'd have given it to Chastain over Spencer (although that would have rather hammered home one of the problems with the film) but McTeer, IMO, was robbed

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Films watched 2012

What are your top 10/25 films of 2012? Vote in the forum Annual Poll now! Deadline is Sunday.

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Post #: 13

RE: The Help - 2/9/2012 10:55:12 PM

Fluke Skywalker

Posts: 9540
Joined: 23/4/2006
From: the dark side of the sun

I agree Chastain was better than Spencer as well

I'm not sure why you feel the movie left a bad taste in your mouth though?

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Post #: 14

RE: The Help - 2/9/2012 11:03:50 PM

elab49

Posts: 51544
Joined: 1/10/2005

Because it was, for me, unabashedly white saviour and lacked any kind of self-awareness about it. That was exacerbated by the dramas for the 2 main black characters being unconvincingly played out and the best opportunities being given elsewhere - Howard was much improved I thought, e.g.

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Films watched 2012

What are your top 10/25 films of 2012? Vote in the forum Annual Poll now! Deadline is Sunday.

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Post #: 15

RE: The Help - 2/9/2012 11:15:36 PM

Fluke Skywalker

Posts: 9540
Joined: 23/4/2006
From: the dark side of the sun

But she's not really a saviour, she can't instantly make their lives better or get them out of prison or save their jobs. She's just trying to tell a story - would it have been possible in those times for a black journalist to have the connections Skeeter did to Mary Steenburgen's character for example to get such a book published? And like I said there were plenty of white people who backed the civil rights movement including journalists - why is it in bad taste to have a white journalist attempting to uncover the conditions these maids were living in?

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Post #: 16

Emotional, Bloated.......Too Sweet - 29/10/2012 10:44:14 PM

blaud

Posts: 722
Joined: 13/12/2007

Race relations are always a tricksy subject when tackling them onscreen. To attempt to make a drama-comedy about race relations is, I would venture, rather difficult. However, The Help rises to the task quite admirably, mixing a fairly amusing mix of comedy with soppy melodrama. I know what this might sound a little uncomplimentary, but it works in the film's favour- as a result the film is impossible to dislike. From it's wonderful performances to it's always-above average script, The Help is an enjoyable, if a little simplistic exploration of a time not that long ago, that most of us would sooner forget. The photography is comprehensive and efficient, but unfortunately the production is a little too light hearted and sweet, clashing with the harsh realities of the subject matter, or the emotional, if simple plotline, In essence, there's nothing wrong with The Help. It's an entertaining film that gives in super performances what it lacks in other areas. The ill-fitting production and somewhat lite treatment of its' production matter mean it loses two stars.

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Post #: 17

- 26/4/2013 4:49:11 AM

danfacey711

Posts: 48
Joined: 18/10/2008
From: Oxford

Corny, simplistic, over emotional for emotions sake but ultimately, if you view this picture as a whole, I feel it deserves more than its been given. If you are to pick at scenes you'd see how clunky in places it is and how cliched it can be in terms of the history. But overall, the film itself leaves you warm and proud of individuals facing such adversities. The performances are utterly incredibly and ultimately drive the film - but when a film is driven by such a good cast it doesn't matter.

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Post #: 18