Precious

I was attracted to this movie by the rave reviews and Oscar nominations it has got. A true touching story of a section of society in America which is realizing its potential.

The movie starts with Claireece "Precious" Jones the lead character, in the school where she has been suspended as she is pregnant with her second child at the age of 16. Precious lives in a world of her own though she is living in a dreadful condition. She forgets her misery by disguising it with her dreams of having a charming boyfriend and living a celebrity life. The movie depicts her struggle to deliver the second child, the realization of the purpose of life and living it on her own terms.

The summary of the movie is "Life is what we define it to be and not what we are made to live".

I can't decide.

I will say this: Precious' mom isn't unique to Harlem or the black community. as someone with a significantly different background, I found myself nodding and shuddering at turns.

some will say that it is too much bad to happen to one person. but it's the vulnerable ones who are most open to this sort of abuse.

I read around the internet such opinions as, "the inner cities are beyond repair, there is no hope for them, for the people who live there". this is some sort of political statement I imagine. but I would assert Precious' experience is a quintessentially American one; the America I know, after all, the America of enormous racial and economic inequality. Hollywood doesn't like to focus on this aspect of our society considering it not very interesting or likely to induce guilt in the upper-middle class folk most likely to buy movie tickets. but watching precious helped me feel vindicated: "here, at last," I said to myself, "is someone telling my story".

what *is* inaccurate is the portrayal of social workers as generally helpful or even moderately well-meaning people. this is blatantly false. the role of the social worker is that of an auditor; my experience with them is that they have nothing but contempt for the people who they are hired to help.

of course precious was right in the end. what could the nice lady do for her? but at least her heart was in the right place.

the problem with America isn't the inner cities but an utter lack of love, compassion, understanding.

Once every so often a film comes along that will change your perception of things. In one way or another it will give you elements to better yourself. "Precious" is such a film. Lee Daniels, the director, takes things to extremes, so much so that this could easily be an opera. When you think that things couldn't be worse, you discover that they have been worse already for a long time. Precious is played by a sort of miracle. Her name is Gubarey Sidibe and I don't even know how to pronounce it but I will certainly take her in my mind from now on, always. When she stands listening to the rantings of her mother, I surprised myself by feeling tears running down my face. The mother, a standout, once in a lifetime performance by Mo'Nique, is also a character we've never seen before. Brutal, unsentimental and truthful to the core. I saw the film over three weeks ago and I can't shake it out of my system, if that in itself is not a sign of greatness I don't know what is.

Several reviewers have criticized this movie as manipulative. If a director or a screenwriter's work causes an emotional reaction, can't any such movie be considered manipulative. If this had been a documentary, would you have embraced it because the facts would speak for themselves. It would seem that we should only have movies about sunshine and light when it comes to people who were born into poverty. We should have a happy ending but not show the sad facts leading up to it. I found the portrayal devastating. I found the performances to be outstanding, upsetting as they were. This is no movie for children or the faint of heart. Nevertheless, those who have the open-mindedness to look at the depth of this film should see it. Movies may have themes and ideas, but agendas? I'm not so sure.

Precious is a film that doesn't mess around. The passion of director Lee Daniels and company resonates throughout the picture. There is no better example of casting. Geoffrey Fletcher and Mo'Nique couldn't be more deserving of their Oscars. The writing and acting make for an altogether captivating experience. Paula Patton's great as Ms. Rain. I've respected Mariah Carey's ability to crossover into acting since WiseGirls. Gabourey Sidibe is heaven-sent as Precious.

I find it difficult to watch in parts, given how physically repellent Precious and her mother are. Be that as it may, it is a compelling story of a girl finding strength and purpose in an abjectly miserable life. For those who may think her troubles are laid on too thick, life is as bad and worse for some.