'Precious' - A Movie Review

No matter what people say, you are loved, you are strong, and you matter.

Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Precious is a 2009 film about an abused, obese, and an illiterate teenage girl. Pregnant with her second child, Precious is kicked out of school. Avoiding rocks in the road, Precious enrolls in an alternative school where her future starts to become more positive.

Precious is a difficult movie to sit through and yet it is a very important film that makes one thankful for what they have. Recently, I started watching clips to this movie and although those scenes were sad, disheartening, and even disturbing, Precious is a film about how to pick yourself up in times of turmoil and move forward.

Gabourey Sidibe’s resilience and determination as Precious were profound in her breakout role. I am completely blown away by Sidibe’s performance and encouraging words of inspiration within her bold narrations embodying her character. Her reactions, response, and growth are what gave the film its energy and a character to look up to.

I hold my head high for Mo’Nique while at the same time despising her monstrous, nasty and unpleasant performance as Precious’s mother, Mary. Her award for Best Supporting Actress was well deserved. As Monique said, the role was incredibly tough for her, but in the end, it was a rewarding experience. At some point in one’s acting career, we should portray a character who is opposite from ourselves. We can learn so much.

Paula Patton and Mariah Carey were my two most favorite performances pushing Precious to be her best and be open about her life. Their roles as a supportive teacher and a hardworking social worker gave faith that we can look up to others to help us.

Every performance is terrific in this film. My favorite scenes involved the five members of the classroom at the alternative school. Their characters gave the film rich fluidity and a reason to smile. Nobody is ever alone. They developed strong personalities, a backstory, and a heartwarming friendship with Precious. I especially enjoyed Xosha Roquemore as the rebel Joann. She always made me laugh with her personality.

The ending sequence is one of the most riveting and gut-wrenching scenes in the entire film. Mo’Nique, Sidibe, and Carey gave spectacular performances despite a harsh situation and rough accusations. The scene feels very realistic and conveys a powerful strength from all three actresses.

Lee Daniels brought a compelling work of fiction to the screen showing audiences a cruel world that some don’t want to think about. It’s about the truth. Without Daniels’s direction, we would not have a bold film filled with subtleties and authentic performances.

That being said, the film’s editing is choppy. Every so often, Precious has a fantasy sequence interrupting from an emotional sequence. These sequences felt random and took away from the emotional levity of the film. Some scenes end abruptly and don’t flow together. Unless Daniels used that as a technique, it ruined a part of the film taking away from the seriousness.

Writing is an important theme throughout the film and I am so thankful for that. Writing has been my passion which has helped me connect with my thoughts. Write your story. Write to help people understand the world.

Precious is an emotional film that makes you think. I admit that it was difficult to watch due to the heavy subject matter involving abuse, rape, and the horrid language. It is a lot to take in a couple of hours. However, it is a strong story about hope and learning to love yourself.