Review: Precious

Harlem Nights

I remember first seeing the trailer for this film and not being too enthused about seeing it. The story of an inner-city black youth dealing with a destructive home and encountering the few adults that decide to take an interest in her was a premise that always seemed present in the trailers, and to me it was just another story about peering into the downtrodden life of a black teenager. It's a story that has been done before, and I was skeptical that I would respond to it. Then the buzz from Sundance started to grow, and I became a little more interested, but was still wondering how a movie that seemed this predictable was able to garner so much acclaim. Upon finally viewing the film, I finally understood why so many people had latched onto this truly emotional and powerful film.

As the subtitle to the film clearly states, this is based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire, and it tells the story of Clairice "Precious" Jones, played by newcommer Gabourney Sidibe. Precious is overweight, illiterate, poor and has two children, both fathered by her own father. Her mother (Mo'Nique) is a monstrous woman who physically and emotionally abuses Precious with frying pans and degrading remarks about her image, along with the insistence to get her to get welfare. After Precious is kicked out of school, she attends a special class to help with her reading. There is where she meets the teacher (Paula Patton) who is the one who takes a liking to her.

What's particularly amazing about this film is that it continually allows you to get invested in the extreme melancholy of this world without it feeling too manipulative. There's a rich blend of forceful and delicate touches that director Lee Daniels institutes for this film. Daniels is most known for producing Monster's Ball, but I did not respond so warmly to that film as others. However, this is an effort that finds a much more sympathetic leading character and earns every heart-wrenching moment through a character that doesn't beg for that sympathy. That is the real key.

Newcommer Gabourney Sidibe is really amazing in this role. Her relatable persona and upbeat personality in the face of such horror is the real spirit of the film, and she infuses the film with an incredible amount of believability. She is funny, charming, depressing, and hopeful all at the same time. As the horrific mother, Mo'Nique has been getting a lot of press. I don't want to oversell her performance, but I do think she's very good in a role that requires you to despise her throughout and try to get some sympathy by the end. It might totally succeed, but she does a truly remarkable job at providing so much energy to a hateful person. And that is more than I thought I would ever say about the person who starred in Soul Plane and Phat Girlz. There are also nice supporting players from Patton, the many schoolmates in Precious's class, and even Mirah Carey in a deglamoured role as the social worker and far away from Glitter.

There are some times when this film comes dangerously close to histrionic melodrama. However, just when it's about to get to that point, it settles down and offers the drama to then unfold in the energy of the performances. Sidibe, Mo'Nique, their incredible cast and Daniels have to take credit for that. This is a film that may not look like much on the surface, but draws you into the many layers it hides. What is there is humor, tragedy, hope and what will probably end up being my favorite film this year. **** / ****; GRADE: A