Movie Review: Precious (2009, Directed by Lee Daniels)

Some great films overwhelm us with their uplifting spirit. Others give us a strong dose of cold, harsh reality. Precious, based on a novel by Sapphire and funded by Oprah Winfrey, manages to do both. We enter the world of Precious, an African American teenage girl living in Harlem. Precious, played in one of the most harrowing performances of the year by Gabby Sidibe, is overweight, pregnant for the second time by her abusive father, illiterate, and living with her monstrously violent mother (played, in another remarkable performance, by Mo’Nique). Precious follows the story of this underprivileged teenager rising out of her unfortunate circumstances to find success and inner peace in life.

A story such as this could be presented in a couple of ways. On one hand, this story could be told in a traditional Hollywood manner. Precious would rise above her hellish life to accomplish great things with the help of her inspiring (and, probably, white, teachers). On the other hand, the story could embrace the ambiguities and complexities of life. There would be no simple villains or perfect heroes, just a young woman in a serious of tragic circumstances. I am happy to report that the movie tends towards the latter approach, although a bit too much of the former approach creeps into the film for my personal taste.

I must say that watching Sidibe and Mo’Nique in action was the film’s greatest pleasure for me. Both actresses portray their characters with beauty and truth. I was also pleasantly surprised by some of the celebrity supporting players, including Mariah Carrey and Lenny Kravitz. The uncompromising nature of these performances more than made up for some of the film’s annoyingly melodramatic flourishes.

During the holiday season, it is always vital to remember how many people live in America with so little. Precious reminds us that the American dream is certainly not alive and well for all.