Thunder Force

 Thunder Force (2021)

Starring Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Bobby Cannavale, Pom Klementieff, Melissa Leo, and Jason Bateman

Directed by Ben Falcone

Written by Ben Falcone

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Onward

Onward (2020)

Featuring the vocal talents of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mel Rodriguez, and Octavia Spencer

Directed by Dan Scanlon

Written by Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley, and Keith Bunin

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C+

Luce

Luce (2019)

Starring Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Brian Bradley, Andrea Bang, and Norbert Leo Butz

Directed by Julius Onah

Written by JC Lee and Julius Onah

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: B

Ma

Ma (2019)

Starrring Octavia Spencer, Juliette Lewis, Diana Silvers, Corey Fogelmanis, McKaley Miller, Gianni Paolo, Dante Brown, and Luke Evans

Directed by Tate Taylor

Written by Scotty Landes

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: D

The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water (2017)

Starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Written by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor

Summary (in 500 words or less): Mute janitor Elisa (Sally Hawkins) at a top secret government facility befriends a violent sea creature (Doug Jones) that was captured and is being held captive.  Elisa soon realizes that the sea creature doesn't see her for her faults, but instead enjoys her company and appreciates her for who she is.  This creates an idea in the lonely Elisa's mind to break the sea creature out of the facility with the help of her friends (Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer) while steering clear of the malevolent and watchful Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) whose torture of the creature is supposedly for the good of mankind.

• Much like Three Billboards, The Shape of Water feels a little kitchen-sinky with director-cowriter Guillermo del Toro tossing a bunch of plot points or character traits into the mix, jumbling them around, and hoping they make a cohesive movie together.  While Shape of Water fares better than Three Billboards, it's not a runaway success by any means.
• Sally Hawkins is always good and her performance here is no exception.  Without speaking a single word (well, for the most part), we in the audience know everything she is feeling and trying to convey.  A nice job.
• The film itself, though, is a bit odd -- although I'm sure that was the intention -- and I have a tough time trying to critique what I didn't really like about it because the whole thing -- the tone, the story -- just landed with a bit of a "nothing burger" for me.  del Toro wavers between quirky comedy and (sometimes over-the-top) melodrama and the balance never finds itself.  
• While the aforementioned Hawkins is in top form, Michael Shannon gives a blatantly one-note and extremely "caricaturish" performance as the egotistical man in charge at the secret government facility.  Granted, I'm sure Shannon was directed to act over-the-top by del Toro, but amidst the "normalcy" of Hawkins character (and even Doug Jones's sea creature character, to be honest), Shannon sticks out like a sore thumb.
• The film goes on too long as well with some silly subplot about the Russians attempting to steal the sea creature which goes absolutely nowhere.  In the end, The Shape of Water was just ho-hum.  I realize I'm kind of alone on the island with this one as it's shaping up to be the frontrunner of the Oscars Best Picture line-up (well, either this or the godawful Three Billboards), but this one just didn't work for me.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures (2016)

Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Mahershala Ali

Directed by Theodore Melfi

There's something so refreshing about the simplicity and basic nature of Hidden Figures and its engagingly pleasant and uplifting story that it's awfully tough not to enjoy director Theodore Melfi's film as it jauntily prances across the movie screen.  The great trio of black actresses at the film's center -- Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe -- do a fantastic job of sugarcoating the fact that the film's screenplay is riddled with one-note white supporting characters and its direction is full of clichés.  However, despite the lack of edginess and its rather elementary (and rudimentary at times) treatment of race relations in the 1960s, Hidden Figures is immensely enjoyable and held my attention as the true story of the three fascinating lead characters unfolded.

Hidden Figures succeeds not because it's got great direction or plot, but because it's a mainstream Hollywood film that capably tells an unknown true story headlined by three charismatic lead actresses.  At the forefront is Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Goble, a rather genius mathematician who worked for NASA at the Langley Research Center in Virginia.  After working in the segregated computer lab, Goble is called up to help the head of the Space Task Group Al Harrison (Kevin Costner) as his team attempts to launch an American into space.  Henson's Goble is an extremely intelligent woman, but she's also a caring mother to her three daughters who faces all the challenges thrown at her with perseverance ever after losing her husband a few years ago.  Henson is captivating at the center of the film, balancing heart and humor with ease.

Perhaps the bulk of the film's humor (and this is a surprisingly funny piece at times) is supplied by Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson, the requisite sassy gal who longs to get her Masters in Engineering but isn't allowed because of Virginia's segregation laws.  While not known for acting, Monáe has proven to be an intriguing newcomer in the field with her work here and in 2016's Moonlight.  She has a presence onscreen that emits strength and grace and she's someone I'm certainly going to pay attention to in the years to come.

The only actress Oscar-nominated for her role here is Octavia Spencer, who plays Dorothy Vaughn, the supervisor of the "colored" computer room.  Spencer is essentially playing the same role here that she played in her Oscar-winning turn in The Help, but she's admittedly good in that no-nonsense type role.  Here, Spencer takes on the motherly role with ease, but I honestly think she's the least impressive of the acting trio -- not saying that in a derogatory way, just in the fact that her role seems the most generic.

The three actresses make this film shine.  Unfortunately, some of what goes on around them proves disappointing.  Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons are given rote, been-there-seen-that roles as 1960s white folk seemingly opposed to integration only to have their eyes opened up when they see what other groups have to offer.  Their evil side-eyes and brusque mannerisms are so utterly stereotypical that it sometimes proves laughable as opposed to impactful which is a shame because I'm sure that these three real-life ladies faced some true opposition to their emergence in NASA.  Kevin Costner bucks the trend as Goble's superior, but it's a bit too little to help.

Director Theodore Melfi doesn't reinvent the wheel here in any way, but in the end, that's okay.  Hidden Figures was meant to be a crowd-pleaser, not a deeply innovative piece.  In that sense, it's entirely successful.  In the end, though, it lacks the gravitas or uniqueness to really make a cinematic impact, but the story of the three ladies at its center is certainly a worthwhile historical footnote to learn about.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Zootopia

Zootopia (2016)

Featuring the vocal talents of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Alan Tudyk, Shakira, Maurice LaMarche, and Octavia Spencer

Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore

Amusing and creative, Zootopia is an engaging animated film with clever gags, solid animation, and quality voice acting.  While some critics deemed this Disney's best animated film in decades, I'm not willing to go there.  However, once you get past the rather lengthy exposition at the film's outset, its story becomes quite engaging and easily is able to win over its audience of both kids and adults alike.

Zootopia takes us a world that is completely made up of anthropomorphic animals where the concept of predators and prey don't exist; rather everyone coexists peacefully.  As the flick begins, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) has just moved to the big titular city from the small rural town of Bunnyburrow with the aspirations to become the first rabbit police officer in the Zootopia Police Department.  While she eventually succeeds at achieving her dream, she's given very little respect by her superiors -- including water buffalo police chief Bogo (Idris Elba) -- and is tasked with being a lowly traffic cop.  In the course of her mundane duties, Judy runs across sly fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) who she feels in conducting some type of shady business, but she can't quite put her finger on it.  Back at the police station one afternoon, a concerned Mrs. Otterton (Octavia Spencer) pleads with Chief Bogo to search for her missing husband, but when Bogo seemingly pushes Mrs. Otterton aside, Judy jumps at the opportunity to work on a real case.  Bogo, seeing this as an opportunity to get rid of the overly ambitious Judy, tells the rabbit she has 48 hours to find Mrs. Otterton's husband Emmitt or else she must give up her position as a cop.  Desperate to keep her job and prove her worth, Judy tracks down Nick and bribes him into helping her.  The duo travels through the many landscapes of Zootopia and discover a nefarious plot that is turning the now peaceful predators into vicious animals again.

If that seems like a bit of a lengthy summarization, that's because I feel like it is...and that's the biggest problem I had with Zootopia.  The film just takes too long to get rolling -- too much exposition at the start and not enough verve to keep my interest.  Fortunately, once Judy and Nick head out on their mission to track down Emmitt Otterton, things begin to pick up and the film becomes filled with clever jokes and clever humanization of animals.  While the film's script doesn't really lend itself to those heart-wrenching or emotionally uplifting moments we've found in Pixar's films, it still ends up successfully balancing its comedic and dramatic moments in the film's final two acts.

Jason Bateman is perfect casting as Nick with the slick fox emanating Bateman's smart-alecky persona.  Ginnifer Goodwin is spot-on sweet as Judy, a character that could grow irksome in her perfectionism, but doesn't thanks to the vocals provided by the actress.  Nice turns also come from Don Lake and Bonnie Hunt (one of my favorite comediennes) as Judy's parents, the aforementioned Elba as the tough-as-nails police chief, and Jenny Slate as a tiny sheep playing assistant to the mayor of Zootopia.

The animators and screenwriters prove to be clever in their homages to other films and to human existence itself.  Puns abound, but never feel too in-your-face or over-the-top which is a good thing because these plays on words/plays on human culture could've gotten old quickly.  Instead, they add atmosphere to the animal environment.  In the end, Zootopia is a worthy entrant to the Disney animated canon, but it doesn't quite match the levels of the company's best.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Black or White

Black or White (2014)

Starring Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer, Jillian Estell, Bill Burr, Mpho Koaho, André Holland, Jennifer Ehle, Paula Newsome, and Anthony Mackie

Directed by Mike Binder

While Black or White certainly isn't a deep introspective look at race relations in America, director and screenwriter Mike Binder's film surprisingly tackles multiple sides of the incessantly hot button topic.  Based on a true story, Kevin Costner is Elliot Anderson, grandfather to Eloise (Jillian Estell), a biracial young girl whose teenage mother died during childbirth and whose father is a drug addict and criminal who has had nothing to do with his daughter's life.  After Elliot's wife Carol (Jennifer Ehle) passes away, the custody of Eloise is brought into question by her paternal grandmother Rowena Jeffers (Octavia Spencer) who wonders if Elliot -- who has a tendency to drink -- is capable of raising his granddaughter on his own.

With the biracial Eloise caught in the crossfire, Black or White raises questions of culture and race with neither side coming out unscathed.  It's intriguing to see a film that doesn't shy away from both sides taking responsibility for actions rather than just playing the blame game.  There are moments on both sides of the race aisle here that were rather revealing and admittedly rang a little true.  Costner gives a good performance, but I'm still a bit unsold on Octavia Spencer who seems to be playing a very similar role here to her Oscar-winning turn in The Help (which placed in my Top Five Supporting Actresses in 2011).  There's been little stretching by her as of late (partly due to scripts that are stereotyping her a little) and I'd like to see a bit more from her in the future.

Admittedly, despite digging a little deep on the race issue, the overall story of Black or White rings a little generic.  The conclusion, which I thought may prove to be powerful, felt like a bit of a cop out.  Then again, this is based on some form of true story, so me calling it a cop out may be an unfair assessment, but cinematically, it disappointed.  However, the lead-up to the final act kept my interest more than enough to warrant this one a watch.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Get on Up

Get on Up (2014)

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Craig Robinson, Jill Scott, and Octavia Spencer

Directed by Tate Taylor

Unfortunately, I can't say much good about director Tate Taylor's James Brown biopic Get On Up and that's mainly because I found his direction of the piece to prove laughable at times and the time jumping of the script to be more annoying than emotionally impacting.  While Chadwick Boseman does a pretty good impression of the famous singer (his dancing and lip synching are really top notch), he fails to bring any resonance to Brown's numerous plights.  In the end, that's really not the fault of Boseman and more on the script and director, both of which aid in devolving the movie to sitcom-like scenes and atmosphere at times.

Rather than follow a linear path, Get On Up jumps back and forth in time in an attempt to prove Brown's adult life was shaped by his childhood, but never once does the early life of Brown create any impact on the grown man and his story.  Taylor attempts this technique multiple times, but it never works and instead reeks of desperation in terms of the writers and director.  In addition,  decisions have been made to have Brown speak and look directly to the camera at times, breaking the fourth wall.  This endeavor to be cool falls flat on its face and feels cheap rather than clever.

James Brown certainly came from nothing to achieve admirable success, but Get On Up doesn't really give the man the proper send-off he deserves.  I give the flick credit for deciding to show the later years in which Brown went off the deep end into a bit of a crazed life, but it's too little too late (and the make-up on Boseman at this stage in the film is horribly rendered).  As mentioned, the sole reason to watch is for Chadwick Boseman who really does nail the performance aspect of the piece with Brown's gyrating and iconic dance moves really coming to life during the reenactments of his stage performances.  Unfortunately, the movie crafted around these moments is pretty abysmal and full of the typical biopic movie clichés.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer (2014)

Starring Chris Evans, Song Kang Ho, Tilda Swinon, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ko Asung, and Ed Harris

Directed by Bong Joon Ho

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

I'm going to put aside any political ramifications of Snowpiercer -- a film which some may seem to be a call for socialism -- and simply say that I found director Bong Joon Ho's film to be quite an amusing take on the uprising of an oppressed lower class as they fight for fair treatment.  Part action, part sci-fi, part drama, and part comedy, Snowpiercer is one of the best films of 2014 with some surprisingly strong performances from an eclectic cast.

In 2014, global warming has wreaked havoc on the earth and scientists decide to push chemicals into the atmosphere to cool things down.  This experiment, however, backfires and ends up freezing the earth making the planet seemingly uninhabitable.  A mysterious man named Wilford (Ed Harris) has built a train that contains various ecosystems and familiar earthly ways of life (beauty shops, sushi restaurants, nightclubs).  This "rattling ark" now contains the planet's last survivors, but the passengers are broken up into different economic strata based on the price of their ticket with the poorest relegated to the dungy, dark caboose of the train.

Jump ahead to 2031 and the inhabitants of the back of the train are fed up with their treatment.  With the help and wisdom of the elderly Gilliam (William Hurt), Curtis (Chris Evans) decides to lead a revolution against their oppressors by staging a coup that will allow them to inch their way up to the front of the train and take control of the engine.

Snowpiercer works because it's an action film -- filled with exciting fight scenes and tense moments -- combined with an actual story that's worth your time.  Director Bong Joon Ho is adept at crafting fight sequences (one that takes place in the dark is particularly intense), while at the same time allowing intimate character-driven moments to shine as well.  The entire cast is strong with particular kudos needing to be lauded upon Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton.

Evans, heretofore known only to me for his superhero roles, takes what we know him for -- those action-oriented roles -- and embraces that, while at the same time adding layers to a character that easily could've simply been a typical "savior" role.  Evans' Curtis is a flawed character with much depth, and in a memorably touching scene in which Curtis recalls a particularly horrific and harrowing time in the back of the train, we see Evans truly showcasing his emotional range and talent as an actor.

Swinton, on the other hand, gets an opportunity to showcase her comedic chops in the amusingly arrogant role of Mason -- Wilford's right-hand woman who is the political mouthpiece of the train's upper crust.  Hamming it up, while at the same embodying a somewhat horrific authoritative side, Swinton continues to prove that she's an actress who constantly makes interesting choices in the characters she portrays.

With some stellar production design to boot to add visual appeal, Snowpiercer is absolutely one of the more interesting and unique films of 2014.  Considering I enjoyed it this much and I'm not even delving into the political ramifications the film espouses, Snowpiercer is much richer than its surface appears.

The RyMickey Rating:  A-

Movie Review - Fruitvale Station

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, and Ariana Neal

Directed by Ryan Coogler

Fruitvale Station isn't the most innovative or original film of 2013, but in its simplistic telling of a basic (though quite sad) story, first time feature director and screenwriter Ryan Coogler successfully encapsulates the true story of a tragic day in the life of California Bay Area resident Oscar Grant who was wrongly gunned down by a police officer on New Years Eve 2008.  While the movie could've easily turned into a "black story" (a term shunned by star Octavia Spencer in an interview regarding the film), Coogler and his performers instead make this a story about love -- a mother's love for her son, a father's love for his daughter, and a family's love for one another -- which makes the horrific ending to Oscar's tale all the more depressing.

Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) wasn't a perfect guy.  On New Years Eve in 2007, he was in jail, but now a year later, he's trying to right his wrongs despite the difficulty that brings.  Having been fired from his job at a supermarket, Oscar's shifted towards selling weed, but it doesn't make him happy as he wants to provide a better life for his girlfriend Sophina (Melonie Diaz) and his daughter Tatiana (Ariana Neal).  His mother Wanda (Octavia Spencer), though perhaps slightly overbearing, wants him to straighten himself up and Oscar desperately desires to make a better man out of himself.  After spending the day preparing for his mother's birthday party, Oscar and Sophina take the subway to San Francisco to ring in the New Year, but through a series of unfortunate events, Oscar finds himself in trouble with the law and things don't end well for him.

The unfortunate thing about Fruitvale Station is that knowing what happens at the end of the film -- the first scene "gives away" the ending and the rest of the film is essentially told in flashback -- makes us more anticipatory for the movie to get to that pivotal moment.  While it's all good to see Oscar's flaws and struggle to get better (the latter of which does come off as slightly "corny" as opposed to "inspirational"), we're waiting for the payoff and this makes the first half of the film a little draggy.  The second half of the movie, though, works and it actually makes the film's first half with its small moments focused on the mundane aspects of daily life really resonate more than I expected.

Although there was a lot of buzz around Michael B. Jordan's performance -- which is definitely good, though not particularly original or mindblowing -- the ladies in Fruitvale Station are where I found the story's heart.  Melanie Diaz takes a small, seemingly throwaway-type role as the beleaguered girlfriend and gives us a well-rounded picture of a young woman who sees potential in Oscar, but also feels the tiniest bit trapped because of the fact that she has a daughter with him.  She loves him and she loves his family, but she struggles with the fact that he's not living up to his best potential.  The same could be said for Oscar's mother, portrayed by Octavia Spencer.  Spencer absolutely mellows it down here from her Oscar-winning role in The Help and it's welcomed.  While her role is perhaps written a tiny bit too "saint-like," her interactions with Oscar and Sophina feel as natural as you can get.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Smashed

Smashed (2012)

Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, and Octavia Spencer

Directed by James Ponsoldt

I didn't dislike Smashed, but as I watched, I couldn't help but think that the potential for so much more was possible with this story.  The writers let down their lead actress, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who was certainly game for expanding the acting chops we'd previously seen on display from her.  Winstead is Kate, a first-grade school teacher who can't make it through the day without alcohol.  Things seemed bad enough to me when she woke up in the morning and couldn't get through a shower without sipping on a beer, but after a night at a bar, she gives a ride to a drunken young woman who shares some cocaine with Kate.  When Kate wakes up the next morning on the city streets next to some homeless folks, she gets the feeling that she may have taken things a step too far.  With the help of a colleague from work, Kate begins going to AA meetings despite the fact that her husband Charlie (Aaron Paul) -- who also happens to imbibe way too much -- frowns upon the idea.

There were moments throughout Smashed that were so close to reaching real emotional levels, but unfortunately director and co-writer James Ponsoldt never allows things to get to that gut-wrenching level that a story like this needs every now and then.  As an example, when Kate attends her first AA meeting, she stands up and gives a speech in which she finally comes to the realization that she might have a problem.  Had the scene gone on for maybe two minutes longer giving Kate a little more to say, it would have been emotionally perfect.  However, as it stands now, Ponsoldt snipped the scene a bit too short therein losing the powerful resonance it could have had.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead does a nice job and she captures the necessary emotions a role like this requires, but the script just does her a bit of a disservice.  Nick Offerman and Octavia Spencer as Kate's AA sponsors provide the nice, gentle voices the struggling Kate needs at this difficult time in her life but they, along with Aaron Paul's Charlie, felt like characters that could have all been developed a little more.

Those who frequent the blog know that I'm not a fan of movies that simply extend their run time for no valid reason, but Smashed (which clocks in at under ninety minutes) is a movie that should've been longer -- and I'm not sure I've ever said that on this blog.  It needed a bit more time to flesh out the characters in order to have a greater emotional impact for the audience.  Smashed isn't a bad movie, but it had the potential to be much better.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - The Help

The Help (2011)

Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Cecily Tyson, Mary Steenburgen, and Sissy Spacek

Directed by Tate Taylor

While no one will mistake The Help for a great piece of cinematic art, there's something endearing and all-together crowd-pleasing about Tate Taylor's second stab at directorial work.  Thanks to one of the best casts assembled for a film in 2011, the ladies of The Help raise what may have been a rather fluffy piece about the civil rights movement in 1960s Mississippi into something much more compelling.

Twenty-three year old Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone) is an aspiring author who, in an attempt to win over a well-to-do big city publisher (Mary Steenburgen), decides to write a book filled with the musings and daily routines of the African American maids in her town in Mississippi.  Naturally, because of racial tensions a half century ago, Skeeter has to keep her meetings with Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) -- a maid and nanny to her employers with a strong, yet seemingly silent personality -- and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) -- a sassy gal who after being fired by the uppity Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) finds herself working for the eccentric Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain) -- a secret.  Yes, I've thrown out a lot of names there, but the crux of the story remains the same -- we're looking at race relations between whites and blacks in 1960s Mississippi and for most those relationships still weren't ideal.

This is territory we've seen explored before in movies and it's not that The Help does anything particularly unique.  It uses stock characters (Bryce Dallas Howard's bitchy Hilly is particularly one-note despite attempts to add depth thanks to an enjoyable performance by Howard), a grooving 60s soundtrack, and feels like something right out of the Steel Magnolias or Fried Green Tomatoes early '90s era in looks and tone.

However, the film succeeds thanks to a cast devoid of one bad egg.  Even when the story falters -- let's just leave the attempts at Skeeter trying to find love on the cutting room floor in the director's cut, shall we? -- the ladies simply compel you to keep your eyes fixated on the screen.  Emma Stone is charming in what is one of the lesser developed characters in the script.  Jessica Chastain (Hollywood's It Girl in 2011) was a hoot as Celia, getting opportunities to showcase her comedic and dramatic talents.  The movie kicked into high gear once Chastain's character was introduced and she lit up the screen whenever she appeared.  Similarly, Octavia Spencer provides some light moments, too, and once Chastain's Celia comes in to the picture, the character of Minnie is given a much greater depth than the rather one-notedness she had the beginning of the film.

Still, when one remembers The Help, their mind will immediately shift to Viola Davis who gives a moving, quiet, and powerful performance.  There's a fierceness in her eyes throughout much of the film -- a pain and anguish that she doesn't really express vocally, but is intensely felt nonetheless.  This type of understated performance is the opposite of showy, but demonstrates why Davis is worthy of all the Oscar buzz she's been receiving.

I really don't have a whole lot bad to say about The Help which I must admit surprises me.  Even if the film was a bit flawed here and there, it's still overwhelmingly enjoyable to watch.  Sure, writer-director Tate Taylor doesn't take too many risks, but he culls some amazing performances from a talented group of ladies.

The RyMickey Rating:  B