ARTHUR'S MOVIE RATINGS

I don't presume to tell you whether or not you're going to like a movie or not--people have different tastes and like different things. The main purpose with the ratings given for movies here is to give you an idea of whether or not you should see it in the theater, wait for it to hit DVD, or skip it altogether. So if you want to break it down...

*****: AMAZING! Everyone should see this as soon as they possibly can!
****: GREAT! Worth every cent to go see it in the theater.
***: GOOD! May or may not be worth seeing in the theater, but definitely a solid choice for a rental.
**: DECENT. Not a horrible movie, but it's not a bad choice for a rental.
*: BAD. Do not watch this movie. Well, you could, but I wouldn't advise it.

14 August 2011

The Help

RATING:***** (5 stars)

Jackson, Mississippi circa 1961. A young woman returns home from college with aspirations to be a journalist and a writer to realize just how bad the lives are for the black women in the segregated south who take care of white families.

For lack of a more succinct way to put it, The Help is the emotional Oscar-contender for late summer. At varying parts you will be smiling, laughing, and even crying. While Emma Stone and Bryce Howard are convincing, be on the lookout in a few months to see Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer on nomination lists for their simply amazing performances.

In a summer lineup of action, comic books, and sequels, The Help is a drama that we've been yearning for, and the fact that it's centered around a time and place that many of us can relate to (even for those of us not actually alive yet) just makes it all the more powerful. If you need a little more reason to see it in theatres before it hits video, rest assured that this is one of those movies that once it hits DVD will be rented out for weeks on end. So stop reading and go see it!

Trailer