My Review: Precious (8/10)

¨Some folks has a lot of things around them that shines for other peoples. I think that maybe some of them was in tunnels. And in that tunnel, the only light they had, was inside of them. And then long after they escape that tunnel, they still be shining for everybody else. ¨

(8/10) Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (yes that is the original title of the film, but we will just abbreviate it to Precious) is a very powerful movie that serves as a social critique on child abuse. This is a very real and raw movie that touches very difficult subject matters that most Hollywood producers would like to stay away from. It shows us another side of life that sometimes we are indifferent towards: those neglected and abused children that only receive hate and abuse from the people that are supposed to care the most for them. The images are really hard to watch and the language is very dirty because the movie deals with rape and verbal abuse. Director and producer, Lee Daniels, recognized he had a very rough childhood himself and received a lot of abuse from his father, so this movie was very personal for him and that is what perhaps gives this a more realistic take on the film. Lee Daniels had already produced other challenging movies such as Monster´s Ball and The Woodsman which both received critical acclaim, although his directorial debut with Shadowboxer didn`t meet the same praise. Geoffrey Fletcher adapted the screenplay after having some success with several short films like the Magic Marker. I really enjoyed this film and it truly opened my eyes on the subject matter. Sometimes we tend to ignore these issues and look the other way so many of the scenes in the movie were really difficult to watch.

The movie begins by introducing us to sixteen year old Precious (played by the newcomer Gabourey Sidibe) who daydreams in school about becoming a famous star and having a hot boyfriend, but the truth of the matter is that she is a very shy, quiet, and overweight girl who sits in the back of the classroom and keeps to herself. She doesn´t know how to read or write, but she is actually quite good at math. The kids at school and in the neighborhood make fun of her and she is constantly teased. When Precious gets home things don`t get better for her since her father sexually abuses her, and her mother Mary (played by Mo`Nique) verbally abuses her as well. Precious already has a two year old daughter named Mongol (short for Mongolic because she has Down syndrome) as a product from the sexual abuse she receives from her father and is pregnant with her second child. Precious has only experienced hurt and pain during her entire life due to the abuse, but someone from school takes an interest for her and convinces her to go to a special school because she shows progress in math. Precious decides to go against her mother`s will. Mary wants her daughter to stay in school for the sole purpose of receiving financial aid since that is her only income because she is too lazy to go find a job. In the meantime at her new school Precious meets Ms. Rain (played by the beautiful Paula Patton (from Mirrors and Déjà Vu) who takes a special interest in her and finally begins to receive something she has never received before, someone that cares for her. One step at a time, Precious begins to learn how to read and write and at the same time finds strength to face her mother.

At first, I found the first few scenes very difficult to watch and didn`t think I would enjoy the movie, but as the movie progressed I really was captivated by the story. I think that by the time Precious gets to the new school and is introduced to her classmates the movie picks up because it mixes humor with drama and it helped the movie tone down a little. Before that point the movie just made you feel depressed and bad for what Precious had to go through. This was Sidibe`s first film and she was great. Her Oscar nomination for best actress was well deserved although I don`t think she will win it. The real star of this film is Mo`Nique, who is absolutely perfect in her role as Mary. She was a true villain every time she was on screen because you really feared for Precious`s life when she was alone with her. Her nomination for best supporting actress was well deserved as well and she is the favorite to win it. Mariah Carey also had a small role as the social worker handling Precious`s case and she also nailed her role. The entire cast was really good and even Lenny Kravitz was believable in his role as a male nurse. What I liked the most about this film is that it didn`t fully rely on the abuse, but it also showed another side of humanity. Ms. Rain really takes an interest in Precious`s life and shows her that there is some good in this world. This might not be a film for everyone, but I absolutely recommend it. I certainly will not complain about my life after seeing everything that Precious had to go through. This film is also nominated for best picture and it probably has an outside chance as Avatar or The Hurt Locker are the heavy favorites. Director Lee Daniels is the first African American director to have his or her film nominated for best picture.