Precious is a very good movie but it is excruciating to watch. It's directed by Lee Daniels who doesn't have many movies to his credit but does a tremendous job with this very challenging material. He will not, however, win any awards for subtlety. The movie is about a 16 year old, seriously overweight girl who is pregnant with her second child, both are a result of being raped by her father. Her barbaric mother, absolutely brilliantly portrayed by Mo'Nique (who is a comedian by day!) is the source of endless emotional and physical abuse. As moviegoers, our tolerance for disturbing images is fairly high. Just as a reminder, Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture last year even though we witnessed the torture of a young man using electric shock as well as the deliberate blinding of a child for the purpose of making him a better beggar; pretty rough stuff. But movie-makers can get away with plenty if they mix in occasional humor or the possibility, no matter how meager, of something better to come. In Slumdog we had the promise of money but more importantly, the beautiful girl. In Precious, it's about education and the potential to turn what seems like a hopeless situation, around. Stay in school, learn how to read and you can overcome anything. Shocking scenes of rape and abuse are juxtaposed to the classroom where Precious, now in an "alternative school", is being nurtured, encouraged and inspired to read and write by her dedicated teacher. We are also privy to her hopes and dreams through glimpses of her fantasies and by listening to her persistently optimistic, inner dialogue. Is all that enough to make up for the constant onslaught of very disturbing images? You bet it is. This is not a feelgood movie but the bottom line; this raw and brutal material is presented in a way that allows us to experience just how far a film can go while only offering just the slightest glimmer of hope. And believe me, it is quite an experience. Newcomer, Gabourey Sedibe, is exceptional as Precious. The very pretty, Paula Patton is just so good as Ms. Rain, her teacher. Miriah Carey is unrecognizable and surprisingly outstanding as Mrs. Weiss, the Welfare social worker. And I will be stunned if Mo'Nique is not nominated and win an Academy Award for her absolutely riveting, image tarnishing performance as Mary, Precious's seriously disturbed mother.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Movie Review: Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire
Precious is a very good movie but it is excruciating to watch. It's directed by Lee Daniels who doesn't have many movies to his credit but does a tremendous job with this very challenging material. He will not, however, win any awards for subtlety. The movie is about a 16 year old, seriously overweight girl who is pregnant with her second child, both are a result of being raped by her father. Her barbaric mother, absolutely brilliantly portrayed by Mo'Nique (who is a comedian by day!) is the source of endless emotional and physical abuse. As moviegoers, our tolerance for disturbing images is fairly high. Just as a reminder, Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture last year even though we witnessed the torture of a young man using electric shock as well as the deliberate blinding of a child for the purpose of making him a better beggar; pretty rough stuff. But movie-makers can get away with plenty if they mix in occasional humor or the possibility, no matter how meager, of something better to come. In Slumdog we had the promise of money but more importantly, the beautiful girl. In Precious, it's about education and the potential to turn what seems like a hopeless situation, around. Stay in school, learn how to read and you can overcome anything. Shocking scenes of rape and abuse are juxtaposed to the classroom where Precious, now in an "alternative school", is being nurtured, encouraged and inspired to read and write by her dedicated teacher. We are also privy to her hopes and dreams through glimpses of her fantasies and by listening to her persistently optimistic, inner dialogue. Is all that enough to make up for the constant onslaught of very disturbing images? You bet it is. This is not a feelgood movie but the bottom line; this raw and brutal material is presented in a way that allows us to experience just how far a film can go while only offering just the slightest glimmer of hope. And believe me, it is quite an experience. Newcomer, Gabourey Sedibe, is exceptional as Precious. The very pretty, Paula Patton is just so good as Ms. Rain, her teacher. Miriah Carey is unrecognizable and surprisingly outstanding as Mrs. Weiss, the Welfare social worker. And I will be stunned if Mo'Nique is not nominated and win an Academy Award for her absolutely riveting, image tarnishing performance as Mary, Precious's seriously disturbed mother.
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I was not going to see this movie but reading this convinced me to. I'm glad I did.
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