Precious (2009)

PRECIOUS

DIRECTED BY: LEE DANIELS
WRITTEN BY: GEOFFREY FLETCHER
NOVEL BY: SAPPHIRE
OVERALL SCORE: 7.75/10

Currently pregnant with her second child, having been rapped both times by her own father, Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) struggles with her day to day life at the hands of an abusive mother (Mo'Nique) and lacking education. When suspended from her school, she is sent to an alternative school where she meets Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). Illiterate and unsure of what to do with her life, Rain provides Precious with the encouragement to seek out a better life for herself.

I'll openly admit that I possessed an extremely wide range of concerns going into my viewing of Precious. Some founded, some not, it was a film I believe most people should see in their lifetime. That of course by no means makes Precious an amazing movie, but rather it's an amazing story, filled with painful downs, quiet ups, about a character who strives for more despite never knowing what that ever means. Throughout the film we are privy to the deep thoughts, dreams, and fantasies of Precious. We see what she sees in the mirror, a skinny white blond girl, her fantasies of being in music videos and Hollywood films. Yet much like Precious, there is a harsh reality that must be faced before any of these dreams can be tackled.

Here is where Precious comes to form. Mo'Nique engrosses the self-absorbed, welfare supported, violent, and all around worthless, mother to Precious, so much so her performance is difficult to appreciate until you truly see its impact in the final confrontation. As well supporting members Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz each perform their duties admirably, each falling right into their roles. Yet no matter how you slice it, this film is Gabourey Sidibe's. Despite any flaw, Sidibe's Precious is so perfectly portrayed you fall into the world of this character almost seamlessly, fighting with this character through the daily struggles, hoping for the happy ending, and yet fearful of what may come.

Though even for all its strengths, Precious does have one debatable flaw: Lee Daniels. During the breakout brightened emotional scenes Lee Daniels hits every note, perfect 100, amazing detail. When it comes to the darker scenes, the really painful ones, Daniels (and probably the writer Fletcher) opts to utilize imagery, fantasies, and visualizations to capture Precious' escape from reality. While this is welcomed in the course of the film, during these moments it often feels like a distraction from the hard hitting pain being presented to us. This use is especially glaring during the film's opening hour, but luckily for us recedes as the movie moves along, and the characters are allowed to open up. All of which culiminates in a final hour as powerful a piece of cinema as I've seen this year, wiping away any negative the first hour may have generated, and striking its viewer at its deepest emotional cues.

The first hour is a very mixed affair, but its latter half will move its audience to tears and back again, well worth your viewing time.