Review: My Year With Helen is fascinating and very engaging

Helen Clark was the most powerful woman at the UN when she decided to run for the top job.

She was on a mission to be the first woman to ever lead the UN as Secretary-General, but not even she could have predicted how rigged it would be.

Ms Clark agreed to let filmmaker Gaylene Preston and her crew follow the campaign, giving unprecedented insight into the inner sanctum of the United Nations.

This access is what makes this film feel so special, the opportunity to see what Ms Clark's uphill struggle there looks like up close and personal, while at the same time sharing in some of her smaller yet significant victories along the way.

It's fascinating stuff.

While it certainly helps to be on Team Helen for this I'd argue it's not vital; the fact we all know the outcome, and it's not the one we're rooting for, does soften the impact though, and Ms Preston's informal, laid-back storytelling style might not be for everyone.

But the insight into what the day-to-day of the largest peacekeeping and security body in the world looks like, with a particular slant on the gender struggle for its members, makes for a very engaging watch.

Four stars.

* My Year With Helen is currently in cinemas.

Newshub.