REVIEW: Precious

Plot summary from fandango.com:

Monster's Ball producer Lee Daniels follows up his 2005 directorial debut, Shadowboxer, with this adaptation of author Sapphire's best-selling novel about an overweight, illiterate African-American teen from Harlem who discovers an alternate path in life after she begins attending a new school. Clareece "Precious" Jones is only a teenager, yet she's about to give birth to her second child. Unable to read or write, Clareece shows little prospect for the future until discovering that she has been accepted into an alternative school. There, with a little help from a sympathetic teacher (Paula Patton) and a kindly nurse (Lenny Kravitiz), the young girl receives something that most teens never get -- a chance to start over. Mo'nique co-stars in an inspirational drama featuring the debut performance of screen newcomer Gabourey "Gabbie" Sidibe.

Viewing Precious was a traumatic experience. It's hard to watch someone go through so much torment, tragedy heaped upon tragedy. Things happen in this film that I will think about for days on end. I'm glad I saw it, but I never want to see it again.

Precious tracks the life of illiterate, pregnant, African-American teen Clarice "Precious" Jones and the movie really hinges on the presentation of this character. Luckily, director Lee Daniels discovered actress Gabourey Sidibe, who takes Precious through one of the most well-acted character arcs we've seen this year. Actually it may be one of the best portrayals of character development in any film ever. While no outward or quantifiable change happens during the movie, at the end she's still overweight, unattractive, and reading at a lower than high school level, Gabourey slowly conveys an internal increase in self-worth and assertiveness that was completely lacking in the the quiet, fearful, timid Precious we are introduced to at the beginning of the film.

Precious features one of the worst mothers ever captured on film. Mary Jones, as portrayed by Monique, is matronly hell. It's almost difficult to imagine someone can be this cruel. Monique is a lock to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this, which is fine, although it would be hard not to bring an Oscar-worthy performance to this role. Not a lot of subtlety in her acting.

Precious has been criticized for evoking many African-Americans stereotypes. Slums, welfare, physical abuse, lack of respect, even dietary with many scenes featuring boiled pigs feet, collard greens, and fried chicken. Considering that the director Lee Daniels is African-American himself, it seems unwise to say that negative connotations were put forward.

While this film was extremely difficult to watch, it personally made me want to be a more understanding person. There is one scene in particular that evokes an entirely different response without its context. Precious, who is obese, makes all the food for her and her mother. Lacking any food to prepare or money to purchase a breakfast, Precious is left with the option of stealing breakfast. So she steals a bucket of fried chicken. Not the best breakfast, but its clear that raising a healthy child is not a high priority for her mother. The shot I'm talking about is with Precious, an overweight black teen, walking down the street in the morning, eating fried chicken, with grease all over her face. Now, if I had passed her on the street, I would've been disgusted, nothing but negative thoughts in my mind. But in context, it's only a struggling girl in survival mode. This movie brutally reminds me that everyone is going through something, and some individuals out there with true horrors they are trying to overcome - it just may help to try to be kind and non-judgmental.

We would recommend seeing Precious, but make sure you prepare yourself first.

Wade: 4/5

Kinsey: 4/5