Precious

My roommate and I went to see Precious, which is now in limited release across the country. The theater was packed with brown folk, which excited me because this is a film that everyone should see and support.

Precious is based on the novel, Push, by poet and singer Sapphire. It explores the interiority of an illiterate black teen, Claireece “Precious” Jones, who goes through just about every imaginable hardship one could imagine. Verbally and physically abused by her mother and raped by her father (who in turn fathers her own two children), Precious enrolls in alternative school and begins to find self-worth despite her circumstances. The film is directed and produced by Lee Daniels, of Monster’s Ball and The Woodsman (one of my favorite films) fame. All of his films examine subjects on the fringes of society through themes of love, struggle, and ultimately redemption.

Paula Patton was completely believable as a teacher who takes Precious and her classmates under her wing. Her understated performance was a breath of fresh air amidst superficial portrayals of the Educator who Saves the Children character type. Mariah Carey’s role as a social worker was brilliant in its subtlety and Lenny Kravitz also held his own with a bit part as a male nurse. Mo’Nique completely transformed for her role as Precious’ mother and her sheer intensity on screen is something to be reckoned with (ahem, Oscar nod!), and the entire movie is held up by the charisma that newcomer Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe’s brings to such a heavy movie.

Watching Precious was a very visceral experience for me and the harsh realties of Precious’ existence juxtaposed with interstitial imaginative fantasy sequences that displayed her hopes and dreams were a clever device to use in a film that would be completely devoid of lightness without them. I most enjoyed the school scenes with Precious and her classmates, which provided a necessary change of pace from the largely pejorative tone of the film.

The film achieved gritty realism through its unwillingness to sugarcoat the very authentic experience of a young black girl’s struggle with her identity. I don’t think I’ve seen a movie about the “black experience” that has done this so successfully since John Singleton’s Boyz in the Hood. I recommend everyone see it and hopefully it will be receiving much Academy Award buzz in the coming weeks!