Preview: The Help (2011)

Synopsis:

A young college graduate gets work writing a novel about the experiences of black maids in the heart of the South.

• Poster: C

Review:

When a poster is this bright and colorful, you wonder why the design was chosen. I can't see much in this piece that can do much to push the film to a wider audience.

• Trailer: B+

Review:

Releasing in August doesn't give me much hope, but the trailer promises a fun and energetic look at racial discrimination in the 1950s. While the territory has been covered frequently and likely in better films, the presence of Octavia Spencer and Emma Stone suggest it could be worth catching.

Oscar Prospects:

If it's popular enough with audiences and critics, it could be a surprise contender for this year's Oscars. Of course, it could also end up as ignored as The Secret Life of Bees.

Release Date:

• August 10, 2011

Full Review Synopsis:

I have not seen this film.

-Wesley Lovell (August 7, 2011) Original