Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire (Lionsgate Pictures)
Bleak House
The movie Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire is one bleak movie. It starts out bleak and it ends up bleak. But in between you get some of the best acting you have see on the movie screen in some time. Director Lee Daniels knows how to get the best out of his cast but when it comes to telling the story, well that is something altogether different.
Clareece Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is an overweight sixteen year old living with her mother Mary (MoNique) in Harlem. At the start of the film the audience learns Precious is pregnant with her second child. Her father is the father of both of her children. Her first baby is a special needs child being raised by Precious grandmother. The child is brought to Marys apartment whenever the social worker is scheduled to come for a visit. This insures Mary gets the welfare money for the support of the child.
Because she is pregnant Precious is sent to an alternative school. There she comes under the influence of her teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). Ms. Rain learns to care about Precious and strives to offer her some hope for her future. In the meantime Mary sees this new school as a threat to her way of life and demands Precious stop going. Violent conflicts ensue.
Precious escapes from the horror of her real life by going into a fantasy world when she is being mistreated. These fantasies show her as a rock star or glamorous model. It is a sad and startling contrast to the dark squalor of her real life.
The acting in this movie is amazing especially when you consider the fact this is Sidibes first major acting role. She is equally adept at handling the dramatic aspects of Precious life as well as the few normal ones. She uses her facial expressions, her eyes, and her body to convey the rush of emotions going through Precious at any given time.
As good, or even better, is MoNique. She makes Mary one of the grandest villains of all time, yet she still manages to imbue her with a small sense of reasoning. When Mary is at her worst she is revolting, but when she tries to justify her actions she is vile. It is a triumphant performance from a very talented woman.
Others who stand out in this cast are Mariah Carey as a sincere social worker; Paula Patton as the true blue Ms. Rain; and Sheri Shepherd as the no-nonsense co-worker at the school Precious attends. Each of these actresses adds something special to the whole of the film.
The movie is rated R for an endless stream of profanity as well as for violence.
As good as the acting is it cant overcome the bleakness of the film itself. Daniels keeps the audience at a distance and in some ways weakens the effect by throwing in humor and escapist fantasies. Precious is an admirable character but the movie does not pave the way for her success in life. She is a person to be praised but the outlook even at the end is bleak.
I scored Precious a trapped 6 out of 10.
