Precious (2009)

This is a truly moving, patiently directed American movie the likes of which we rarely get treated to anymore. The word 'Precious' certainly does take on it's original meaning after seeing this story unfold.

Just when I think 'the movies' have lost their last bit of integrity, a movie like this comes along as though to say 'don't worry, it's still an art form'.

As for Mo'Nique... well... I wonder what she'll say in her acceptance speeches? Brava, brava, brava.

And Mariah's performance is outstanding and deeply surprising as well.

I can't recommend this film highly enough.

Fmovies: To my surprise, this soul-baring 2009 drama is neither as painful nor depressing as the subject matter would imply. In fact, director Lee Daniels' treatment alternates so fluently between gritty realism, social uplift, and fanciful episodes of fantasy that the end result is as much enthralling as it is emotionally draining. First-time screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher does a solid job adapting the 1996 source novel by Sapphire, "Push", but the strength and honesty of the cast is what sears in the memory. Daniels could have been otherwise charged with stunt casting had he not drawn out such powerhouse work from the out-of-left-field likes of comedienne Mo'Nique and pop diva Mariah Carey. Granted Daniels in his second directorial effort is not the most subtle of filmmakers (his first film was the strangely exotic "Shadowboxer"), but he does bring a level of florid passion that the subject desperately needs to alleviate the unrelenting bleakness of the title character's existence.

Set in Harlem in 1987, the story centers on sixteen-year-old Claireece "Precious" Jones, a morbidly obese girl so void of self-worth that she refers to herself without irony as "ugly black grease to be washed from the street". Nearly illiterate, she finds herself pregnant for the second time by her father, and the school principal arranges to enroll Precious at an "alternative" institution. She recognizes this as an opportunity to better herself, but her mother Mary discourages it and forces Precious to apply for welfare. The unenviable mother-daughter relationship is the crux of the film, and it is here the film gives an unblinking account of monstrous physical and psychological abuse that explains the sharp contrast between Precious' inner and outer lives. On the outside, she is a forlorn yet formidable presence with a face so full that she can't express emotion without a great deal of effort. On the inside, she is loved and admired unconditionally. The two slowly come together at Precious' new school where she finds acceptance and redemption through a dedicated teacher (improbably named Blu Rain), who must get through to a classroom full of girls all disadvantaged in their own ways.

The birth of Precious' son, along with the bonding she feels at school, signals a harrowing showdown between mother and daughter and ultimately a confrontation between Mary and Mrs. Weiss, the no-nonsense social worker who seeks the truth behind Precious' home life. In the title role, Gabourey Sidibe is ideally cast given the film's semi-documentary approach. An untrained actress, she is able to elicit empathy by giving herself completely to the inchoate character, and when Precious breaks down from the weight of yet another seemingly insurmountable development, Sidibe gives the scene a halting honesty. Paula Patton ("Swing Vote") gets to play the Sidney Poitier role of the elegantly transformative teacher as Ms. Rain, but she gives the too-good-to-be-true character a palpable sense of passion. As Mrs. Weiss, a role originally slated for Helen Mirren (who co-starred in Daniels' "Shadowboxer"), Mariah Carey, bereft of her glistening make-up and diva mannerisms, brings an audacious toughness to her smallish but pivotal role.

However, it is Mo'Nique ("Phat Girlz") that gives the film's most shattering performance. I don't know what emotional reservoir she is tapping into, but she nails Mary with a fury so startling and realistic

First and foremost I want to say that I am not disrespecting the people that organized this film or the actors. They are doing what they gotta do I guess. I do believe some people in this movie have talent, but it's not being expressed.

It seem like black cinema has reached an all time low. This is the most stereotypical movie to come out since "Birth Of A Nation" but yet it's embraced by the black community for one and Hollywood seems to be OK with it. Why? Is it because it represents every stereotype out there about black people. My aunt enjoyed this movie while my father and I were the only ones who realized how offensive this was.

This movie is about a young, fat, extra dark, illiterate, welfare, woman who loves chicken,is getting molested by her father,and has two kids. Is this all black filmmakers can do today? We come off as monolithic because we're always falling into the bag every time. I can watch the news every day and see these representations of black people. And this is suppose to be inspirational? Anyone could of made this movie. The script literally seemed like the whole movie was improvised. If the girl precious drops a crumb on the floor her mother literally goes into 100% ghetto mode. "You ain't sh*t you fat b****. That's why nobody wants your fat, black a**.You fat ugly b**** you ain't never gonna be nothing in life". I wish I was exaggerating but I'm not. We've got to get beyond promoting ignorance. And it wouldn't be as bad if we saw a balance in black cinema, but this is all we're seeing.

But on the other hand the black audience embraced it. But when a positive movie like "The Great Debaters" or "The Miracle at St. Anna" come out we don't support it. Let's wake up and see a wider view of what black people are capable of and stop supporting everything that's a stereotype.

Precious fmovies. I just saw this film at Sundance, and it was truly amazing. I confess I did not read the book (I will now), but I suspect that Daniels really took it to the next level. The story of Precious and her world was deeply moving and supremely well acted. I was particularly surprised at my own ability to laugh, along with the story, at the worst humanity can throw at us. After the film, Daniels, the producers, and the entire cast came forward to many standing ovations. Gabby was indeed charming, and I was particularly riveted by Mo'Nique's discussion of how she was able to become Mary, Precious' mother. Daniels fielded many questions from the audience, mostly directed at the task of realizing this story. I hope to see his work again. This is a heavy film, but I highly recommend it.

This is a film that might make some people a little uneasy. It deals with family abuse in the form of rape, physical and verbal violence. The one character it follows is Precious, an overweight illiterate teenage girl who is pregnant with her second child from her biological father. She is kicked out of her school because of her pregnancy and is enrolled in another educational institution called each one teach one. She wants to do better things, but doesn't have the will or motivation because of the constant abuse at the hands of her mother. She day dreams about being a big star and getting out of the hellish life she lives.

The film is raw with the material and doesn't really hold any punches. Lee Daniels second feature film shows vast improvement over the messy Shadowboxer starring Cuba good Jr. His grasp of the material and dedication to have the story be told is evident in his attention to translate the novel to screen. Daniels has put together a cast that care about the subject matter and the story as much as he does and is surrounded by the talent that is needed to pull it off.

Gabourey Sidibe is Precious, the troubled teen wanting more out of life. She shines in her first starring role and it's no walk in the park for her. The role demanded talent and Sidibe delivers what is needed. Of course the one who stands out the most is Mo'Nique earning herself a much deserved Oscar for her role as the abusive and sloth ridden mother. Her confrontation with her daughter after the birth of the second child is intense and will have you holding your breath in fear for the safety of the child.

Precious is a film that is driven by a strong story and an emotional cast that cares about the work they are doing. It's a glimmer of hope that keeps the story moving in a world that is hard edged and usually leads nowhere. It's not a relatively long film, but I did find myself checking my watch every now and then and some bits in the film happen without much clarification. Where did that one white boy come from in her Each One Teach One class? In any event, the final product is a good film with a message about hope and Tyler Perry finally has his name attached to something good in his career (Star Trek not included).

SPOILER: First of all, thank God that this doesn't claim to be "based on" or "inspired by" a true story. That would be too much to take, because this is truly the most brutal movie I have ever seen - brutal not in quality but in content. As Precious deals with her mother's ongoing and relentless abuse (both physical and verbal) you find yourself almost in tears. As she has flashbacks to the sexual abuse she endured at the hands of her father you just need to turn your head away for a while and catch your breath. It's brutal. It doesn't claim to be based on a true story. You hope it's an exaggeration. You wish it doesn't happen. And, somehow, somewhere, deep within you know there are young kids enduring this type of abuse on a daily basis. So, the movie definitely gets an emotional reaction from the viewer, and deserves credit for that. But let's think about the content.

As brutal and emotionally draining as it is, the story is at times lacking. Perhaps the flashbacks and fantasies are a bit too much, so that you're not always sure of the reality of what you're watching. You have to like Gabourey Sidibe's performance as Precious. Her absolutely unfeeling reactions to her mother struck me as the sort of reaction an abused child would have. For an inexperienced newcomer, her performance was great. An Oscar nomination? I'm not sure to be honest. One of the biggest problems I had with her was that I often had trouble understanding what she was saying. Maybe it was the character - Precious being uneducated and abused, so she mumbled a lot as if she really didn't want to be heard. Perhaps there's some reality to that, but it's frustrating from the perspective of watching the movie and wanting to hear the dialogue. I thought the confrontation with her mother in the social worker's office was well done. It seemed the logical climax to the movie as the mother is confronted with the evils that happened to Precious at her hands and at the hands of her boyfriend. I loved the fact that Precious walked away and left her behind. I was also a little confused, though. She walked away with 2 kids - one with Down's Syndrome? As she said herself, she's still only reading at a junior high school level. Sure. "Then high school. Then college." She has dreams. That's great. But she's not living in the "then" - she's living in the "now." How is she going to care for two kids? As the movie ended, I was worried about them.

It really is a brutal, emotionally wrenching movie. It's not a movie I would watch twice. It's full of horrendous abuse and some of the most sustained and foulest language I've ever heard in a movie. It deserves a lot of credit. But it's also not great.