Director: Tate Taylor.

Cast: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Ahna O'Reilly.

THERE'S a distinct air of "Oprah's Book Of The Month" about this little piece of revisionist history, but don't let that put you off.

Amid the soap opera moments and mawkish melodrama, there is a solid exploration of '60s racism and a woman's place in America's Deep South, as told by a uniformly excellent cast.

The story centres on the African-American housemaids/nannies that serve the white families of Jackson, Mississippi, and the hypocrisy and patronising bigotry of the situation - these black women raise the white children, cook amazing meals, and clean their homes, but they're not allowed to use the same toilets, taxis, crockery or cutlery as their white employers.

Enter 'Skeeter' Phelan (Stone), a journalism graduate returning from university to Jackson. Upon seeing the way her old school friends treat the help, and upset about the departure of the maid who raised her, Skeeter decides to write an expose that will shed light on the situation and earn her a writing career in New York.

The film initially struggles to figure out whose story this is, switching between the narrating maid Aibileen Clark (Davis), Skeeter, and the "sass-mouthed" maid Minny Jackson (Spencer). But once it finds its groove, The Help paints a rich portrait of not only the servants but Jackson's high society, particularly on the snobby women who are too busy playing bridge, patronising the maids and raising money for starving African children to care about their own kids and the inequality in their own homes.

The highlight is the performances. Davis and Spencer shine as Aibileen and Minny, Stone is suitably likeable and fiery, Howard is outstanding as the bitchy queen of the social set, and newcomer Chastain is wonderful as the slightly ditzy social pariah.

The film has plenty to work with in its racial study but expands into examining the way the upper class functions, plus the roles of women in the era. At times its too much - while it fleshes out the many citizens of Jackson, parts feel superfluous, such as Skeeter's brief romance and the plot point of her mother's illness.

These extra flourishes unfortunately add to the melodrama rather than the dramatic punch, invoking a soap opera vibe at times, and amid the genuinely moving moments there are a few too many cringe-worthy bits that miss their potential emotional impact.

But the interesting setting and solid themes, all brought to life with warm visuals and top-notch cast, elevate this above its flat parts and the occasional feeling you're watching a sub-par TV series.