Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Lee Daniels
Stars: Gabourney Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Lennie Kravitz, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Stephanie Andujar, Chyna Layne, Amina Robinson, Xasha Roquemore, Angelic Zambrana.
An unrelentingly grim but ultimately uplifting and inspiring drama about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, Precious is a heartwrenchingly honest cinema experience that is almost impossible to forget.
Claireece Precious Jones (played by newcomer Gabourney Sidibe) is an overweight illiterate teenager who comes from a dysfunctional domestic environment. She has been repeatedly raped by her now absent father, and she is pregnant with her second child by him. Her mother Mary (Mo’nique) is a monstrous harridan who lives on welfare and rarely ventures outside her gloomy apartment. She constantly hurls abuse at her daughter and belittles her dreams and crushes her aspirations at every opportunity. She also thinks nothing of hurling heavy objects at her daughter’s head when she thinks she is lying or being disrespectful.
Precious is suspended from her school, and sent to an alternative setting, much to Mary’s disgust. There she finds herself in the literacy class run by Ms Rain (Paula Patton), who eventually breaks down her sullen wall of anger and resentment. As Precious slowly and painfully learns to read and write, she finds her life transformed as all sorts of possibilities open up to her. And her new case worker Miss Weiss (Mariah Carey) finds herself appalled at the horrific details of her toxic home life, and sets about trying to improve her circumstances. Precious often escapes into her own fantasy world where she is a famous actress, courted by fans and the press alike, and these few fantasy sequences also allow the audience brief moments of respite from the unrelenting ugliness and brutality she suffers.
Precious has been based on a novel written by Sapphire, a pseudonym for a teacher who taught literacy skills to illiterate and underprivileged kids in Harlem in the 1980’s, and is suffused with the kind of painful detail that can only come from real life experience. The film has been superbly adapted by director Lee Daniels and screen writer Geoffrey Fletcher, who wisely refuse to tone down the bleakness, the horrible squalor and abusive nature of Precious’s life. Daniels is no stranger to controversial topics as he has previously produced films like Monster’s Ball and The Woodsman, which dealt with the awkward topic of paedophilia. Precious is a superbly realised and moving drama from Daniels, whose last film was the widely maligned and little seen offbeat crime thriller Shadowboxer.
Precious benefits from two sensational lead performances. Newcomer Sidibe is mesmerising and unforgettable as the title character, a surly, monosyllabic and introspective teen who slowly blossoms and grows as she finds a support network through her new school. Former stand up comic Mo’nique is chilling in her Golden Globe award winning role as the monstrously unsympathetic mother. However, it is only in the final scenes that we are permitted a glimpse beneath her tough exterior and reluctantly empathise with her.
The supporting cast is comprised of some eclectic casting choices that prove effective. Lennie Kravitz is surprisingly good in his small role as a male nurse. Carey leaves behind the critical mauling she received for her previous film Glitter, and she is okay in her small role as a sympathetic social worker. Patton is also very good as the concerned teacher who has a positive impact on Precious and helps turn her life around.
****