Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Released: 2009
MPAA rating: R
Run-time: 1:49

“Precious” is vicious, it’s unrelenting, it’s disturbing, but is an extremely powerful film.  I don’t think “entertaining” is the right word, because it is really uncomfortable to watch, but it is riveting from beginning to end.  Precious (Gabourey Sidibe)  is a 15-year old girl living in 1987 Harlem with her abusive mother (Mo’Nique) and her mongoloid daughter (whose father is also her own father).  Precious is desperately trying to hang on to some hope for a future as she carries another child by her father, who is no longer living at home.   She harbors dreams of being a movie or music diva while her entire world is one of horror and diminishing self-esteem.  Her life is brutal in every way, being raped by her father and abused by her mother as she is ridiculed on the streets and at school.  The only hope begins to appear when she is expelled from school and told she should attend an “alternative” school, which is ostensibly a place to get a GED.  Here, she meets Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), who becomes the only person to show any interest in helping Precious.  I won’t go into any further plot details as you definitely want to experience this film as it unfolds.  Thankfully, some of the most brutal things that happen to Precious occur somewhat off-screen or in glimpses as she goes to her “happy place” during these times and the film takes you inside her head to see how she copes.  As far as Oscar-talk goes, Mo’Nique is an absolute lock.  One of the more amazing performances I have seen in a long time, punctuated by a monologue that explains her motivations where you find yourself thinking she actually makes some twisted sense.  Best Director is reported to be a two-horse race between James Cameron and Katherine Bigelow, but how can you not consider Lee Daniels who manages to get amazing performances from Mo’Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz and Gabourey Sibide.  To take that many low-experience people and get every one of them to hit it out of the park definitely deserves some consideration.  I can’t say you will “like” this film, but you will be deeply engaged by it and it sticks with you.
 
Grade: A

Trailer: