Helen Kelly - Together: Film Review

Helen Kelly - Together: Film Review

Director: Tony Sutorius

Director Tony Sutorius' portrait of renowned union advocate Helen Kelly is deep on inspiration, but low on full details of its subject itself.

Pulling together elements of the last year of her life, Sutorius prefers to concentrate more on the ripple effects of Kelly's life, rather than an in depth look at what motivated her, her background etc.

There are elements of this mentioned early on, as Kelly details some of her family life, her father's advocacy and the fact she was determined to be following in his footsteps. But largely, Sutorius chooses to concentrate on her fight against bureaucracy, her fight for the families of Pike River, of logging accidents in Tokoroa, and generally on the elements that just saw her intrinsically fighting for the everyday worker.

It's a pleasant enough affair, put together with heart and sensitivity, but one which unless you're interested in the birth of union moments and butting heads with bureaucracy, one which feels like it's not quite as wide a portrait as it could be.

Where it is successful is in Sutorius' desire to show that everyday ordinary decency is still evident in the face of insurmountable odds. From getting inside Pike River via some astounding footage to capturing Kelly dealing with chemo and union quibbles, there's a sense here that inspirational was what was aimed for - and there's no denying a legacy.

It's just that Helen Kelly Together feels more like a rallying call for general humanity rather than a portrait of its person, and while that's no bad thing, it does feel like the spotlight deserved to be shone a little more on Kelly.