Movie review: Wrenching but brilliant Precious will challenge you
Good films, like any art form, should promote discussion and the new, critically-acclaimed film Precious certainly sparked a healthy debate with my wife.
For me, film is an experiential art form and works best when an audience is immersed in the story. If the characters can draw you in, for better or worse, the viewing will be that much richer.
My wife, despite all my warnings, thinks that movies can be too realistic and for a film like Precious that can certainly be a problem for those who are sensitive.
You see, Precious absolutely deserves all the Oscar hype it’s receiving, but watching this film comes with a price. What you see will stick with you a long time and it’s a terrible, terrible thing.
The movie tells the story of a young, inner-city woman named Precious. She lives at home with her mother, leaving the apartment only to go to school. By that description, her life is pretty uneventful, but you can never know the true story of the people you see walking down the street.
What a casual observer wouldn’t know is that Precious is an abuse victim. I mean serious abuse. Her mother (a star-making role for comedienne Mo’Nique) resents her for the loss of her man and her fury is a terrible thing to see.
The verbal, physical and psychological abuse she unleashes is enough to break down the strongest person. That includes the audience.
Despite having the bleakest of lives, Precious catches a break when a kind-hearted school administrator sends her to an alternative school. There, Precious is able to connect with a determined teacher and other young women also experiencing life’s harsh realities.
Before you start to think this is going to be one of those sappy films where the good-hearted teacher rescues the poor ghetto-child, just know that this film is a lot like life. Silver linings appear here and there, but there are still some dark, dark clouds overhead. Nothing comes easy for Precious and in a lot of ways, her troubles are just beginning.
Based on the acclaimed novel Push, Precious has already scored big with African-American audiences, but this is not a black movie. It’s black only in the sense that there really hasn’t been this type of movie made for a non-white audience before.
This movie is about pain, suffering, the evils people unleash on each other, and yet, it’s also about hope, perseverance and the ability to keep moving forward, even when everything is trying to drag you down.
Producer/Director Lee Daniels is best known for his work on Monsters Ball and The Woodsman, so he’s no stranger to gritty and grimy stories. He directs this film with an equal dose of despair and pain. At times, he uses vivid images to portray the inner desires Precious feels. When she looks at herself in the mirror, well, it’ll just make your heart break.
Daniels also does some quick and hyperkinetic editing to portray her nightmares and several scenes of abuse hearken back to Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream. Daniels’ greatest achievement comes from his ability to coax unbelievable performances from his cast.
Precious is played by newcomer Gabourey Sidibe and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better performance from a rookie actor. She looks the part. I mean, even forewarned with the knowledge that she’s a novice actor, you’ll believe she’s actually Precious. She fits this role so well, she draws in the audience and she draws in your heart.
Then there’s Mo’Nique. You’ll recognize her from her stand-up comedy and a lot of silly movies but you’ll never think of her the same way again. She deserves every bit of Oscar hype she’s getting and if she doesn’t get a Best Supporting Actress nomination then the Academy Awards are a sham. I think they should just give her the trophy right now.
We’ve all seen actresses playing obsessed, evil mothers before, but Mo’Nique sinks to such amazing depths of abuse and depravity that you’ll just be shocked. I knew about her performance going in and I was still impressed and horrified. Mo’Nique had one scene in particular that put a knot in my stomach. I felt more dread and fear in that scene then any dozen of the most recent horror films.
There are other excellent roles as well provided by Paula Patton (Déjà Vu), Sherri Shepherd ("The View") and even Mariah Carey as a sympathetic social worker. Along with the girls in the alternative school, Precious is an amazing film for female actors.
The only significant male role, played by Lenny Kravitz, is very small and Precious is a film fully portraying the most beautiful, noble, and the most terrible aspects of female power.
The final scene involves a confrontation between Precious, her mother and the social worker. I won’t give anything away, but the things they talk about hit me like a punch in the gut. I’m not one to get overly sentimental but if you can get through that scene or even this movie without feeling beaten down or without shedding a few tears then you’re a hard person.
Precious is not easy viewing. I previously mentioned Requiem for a Dream and Precious is a lot like that film. Both are truly dark rides and while Precious shows some of the worst of humanity, it leaves you hopeful if not happy. The kind of inner strength this character displays is enough to instill a little hope in anyone.
It’s just a painful journey to get to that realization.
5 out of 5
Rated R
Tony Robinson is a past host of KATU's Movie Guys film review segment and currently reviews movies exclusively for KATU.com. He lives in Portland with his wife, son and action figure collection. He can be reached at tonerobe@hotmail.com.