The Help

It's not as unequivocally great as, say, Spielberg's The Color Purple, but it's more than good enough. And not black and white at all. The script artfully mixes poignant stories with sensitive humor and doesn't need to show violence and other atrocities (which it certainly could have shown) to tell us what it wants to tell us. Moreover, it is not only about the theme of different skin colors, but also a pretty good critique of interpersonal and family relationships... You almost get the feeling that this film has everything. Including the somewhat bitter ending, which is even harsher in the book (and should have been in the film, see the omitted scenes on the DVD). Both of the main black actresses were amazing, and I really liked Emma Stone too, but I was absolutely thrilled with Jessica Chastain! The story of her uniquely acted character, about whom I didn't know what to think at first, ended up impressing me the most. Two hours and twenty minutes passed by like an hour and a half. (04/08/2013)

A must-see feel-good movie about racial issues in upper middle-class USA in the 1960s. Paradoxically, the most black and white is the dosage of emotions, which is sometimes too simplistic and for effect – the vast majority of whites are superficial scumbags and the vast majority of blacks are good and model workers. But if you overlook this creative vice of pigeonholing characters in an otherwise interesting story, you get a number of scenes with a huge range of emotions that can grab you by the heart and move you appropriately. An intense viewing experience, a stimulating Oscar-winning film with a stellar cast and deservedly positive reviews. (29/11/2022)

Kind in a black and white way and a little too obtrusive female drama that is occasionally ridiculously naive (there are three types of character; a cheerful black lady with a troubled past endowed with common sense, an affected xenophobic, upper-class white lady and men who we don’t see or, when we eventually do, then they invariably run away from their problems). It rides on the harmless, tearjerker wave, but never delves beneath the surface... We only take a look there in the opening scene and that is by far the best moment in the movie. (20/11/2011)

Despite the fact that Skeeter's story openly appeals to emotions through its narrative, soundtrack, and gradually revealed small details, I am surprised by how straightforward it actually is. There is no hiding of the main theme within various subplots, no treading water. From the first significant scene, it delivers a clear message at a higher speed and easily maintains it for over two hours. Thanks to this, the triple catharsis feels even more impactful. Perhaps if there had been a more definitive, slightly more fateful conclusion, I would have been completely satisfied. In that case, I felt that I could have handled an additional five minutes of voiceover in a slightly distant future during the end credits. Nevertheless, The Help has won me over not only with its storytelling power but also with its flawless casting, even in the smallest roles. (20/01/2012)

When I watched the movie "Black and White World," I wondered how Americans perceive it. I am sure they see it as a drama that depicts a story, but do they realize that this is about their parents, or maybe even themselves? Are they capable of acknowledging that in their relentless freedom they were actually quite nasty and despicable? A nation that is so proud of itself understood equality 40 years ago, yet in some states, they still reject it. But to reassure us that they are progressive, they elect a black - pardon, African American - president, who is still, however, a mixed race. Sometimes I think how great it would be to live in America, but sometimes this idea deeply repulses me. Everything has its merits, but the story of the black women, who are no worse than any of us - and perhaps even better - is truly a powerful testimony that manages not to get lost in the swamp of pathos. The outstanding performances of the actors were rightfully awarded an Oscar or at least a nomination. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/04/diar-milovnika-filmu-c-0003-eastwood.html (14/02/2013)