--A note from the author--

Hi everyone! A good friend of mine made a comment on my review of "The Help" asking why I rated it only a 3.5. This is a good question, and one that compelled me to provide information to my readership regarding my 0-4 scaling for movies. What is a 4, to me? I consider a movie to be 4 stars if it is "a 3.5-star movie that has endured." And by enduring, I mean that it has continued to be appealing over time, and that it is appreciated by people of a variety of demographics (age, race, culture, country). I think movies can only get up to 3.5 stars in and of themselves, because the remaining 0.5 stars depends on the response by the audience. Basically, the question is--can a movie really be 4 stars if it is not widely appreciated? Isn't part of the greatness of films their popular approval? I think no to the first question, and yes to the second... and that's the long-winded explanation of my scale. :) So, The Help might eventually achieve 4 stars, and The Godfather, for example, has achieved 4 stars by being a 3.5 star movie that has endured. :)

Have a beautiful day!! :)

"Courage isn't just about being brave. It's about overcoming fear and daring to do what is right for your fellow man." (The Help, 2011)

Movie: The Help

Rating: PG-13

Release Year: 2011

Notable Cast: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard

Stars: 3.5

Review: Absolutely wonderful movie! This movie did an excellent job of portraying the racial injustices of the 1960s in the US, in a way that was poignant without being contrived. The presentation demonstrated an expertise in captivating the audience. This movie excelled in many dimensions. To begin with, set design, costumes, and mannerisms were spot-on for this period film. As for acting, I give great props to Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard for their incredible portrayals of the heroine and villainess, respectively. Stone has really proven herself in cinema, demonstrating vast range through Easy A, Crazy/Stupid/Love, and now The Help. This is the first time I am seeing Howard, who is the eldest daughter of the great Ron Howard. Her passion and immense talent for acting is obvious; it was near-impossible to distinguish the actress from the character in this movie--she truly embraced the role.

One unique and wonderful aspect of this film was its clever presentation of multiple power-differentials. To name a few, there were particular black/white, husband/wife, mother/child, black/black, and white/white relationships, all of which demonstrated inequalities of power (i.e., domestic abuse, child abuse). I really liked this subtle presentation of a multitude of differentials, as it really allowed the film to transcend from appealing to any one particular demographic or cause to making a much louder and significant impact across many demographics and causes. That is to say, this movie makes a very important point about the existence of inequalities in many different types of relationships, not 'just' race or 'just' in the 1960s. There is the implication, at least in my mind, that if we look carefully enough, we can find inequalities that existed, exist now, and will exist. We must, therefore, always be vigilant to identify inequalities and then always be courageous to fight those inequalities.

Let me just add--unlike the latter part of this review which IS a bit preachy, one of the great strengths of this movie is that it was able to say so much WITHOUT sounding preachy. :)

Good date movie? Yes.

"Apes alone...weak. Apes together strong." (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2011)

Movie: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rating: PG-13

Release Year: 2011

Notable Cast: James Franco, Freida Pinto

Stars: 2.5

Review: In general, this was a pretty good movie with small flashes of brilliance. In fact, it is only just shy of achieving 3 stars. Story and execution were excellent, particularly in terms of the conscientious attention to detail given that this is a prequel to the infamous Planet of the Apes (POTA). Without giving too much of POTA away, let me say that there are certain idiosyncratic characteristics of the apes in POTA which are explained in this movie. For example, in POTA the apes wear peculiar helmets and ride on horses, and in Rise, we see policeman at the end of the movie wearing similar garb. It is admirable that the writers of this movie would take the time with this prequel to set-up its successor so seamlessly.

By far the best, most amazing and thrilling aspect of this movie was the CG. Really impressive! I was blown away. They did a remarkable job. Lots of props here!

Positives aside, there were certainly some blaring negatives. Dialogue was bland and disappointing at times. Delivery and acting was just okay, with Freida Pinto, as a budding star, somewhat timid. I think she has some potential, but has yet to really own her roles and truly make the audience believe her characters. James Franco is a decent actor, and I appreciate that he seems to be steadily improving (i.e., better acting now than compared to Spiderman).

Good date movie? Sure!