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'The Help' ★★★

A story of African-American maids in the South during Jim Crow days, how they view their employers and how they empower a young white woman to write a best-seller about them. A good film, involving and wonderfully acted. (PG-13, 146 min.) Roger Ebert

'The Interrupters' ★★★★

This remarkable documentary follows members of CeaseFire, tough ex-cons who go daily into the streets of Chicago to try to talk gang members out of shooting at each other. By Steve James, who made the masterpiece "Hoop Dreams." (NR, 164 min.) Roger Ebert

Dale Robinette