DVD Review: Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire(2009)
Posted by pauliesplatform on March 16, 2010
A difficult watch but well worth seeing. That’s how I would describe my experience watching “Precious.” I remember seeing the trailer for this movie before it came out and thinking: “what was that?” The movie does not disappoint in that respect. The story really is like watching the fallout from a train wreck but the performances are outstanding. Mo’Nique’s performance as Mary Jones really came down, for me, to three key scenes. She is extremely powerful in each and it is clear why she won and deserved the Oscar for supporting actress. You can just feel the tension on the screen whenever she is there. Her presence in this film is both terrifying and heartbreaking. Mary Jones is capable of unspeakable acts, yet she seems not to know (or understand) the damage she’s causing until she’s forced to face the dire consequences of her choices near the end of the film. First time star Gabourey Sidibe is excellent and convincing as Precious. She becomes the character and portrays Precious’ struggles in a realistic way. Excellent support is offered in the performances of Mariah Carey and Paula Patton who are both great. The message of this film seems to be that education provides hope and that hope allows people to move forward in order to overcome any obstacle and better themselves. It is a positive overall statement that could easily be lost in the nightmare that is Precious’ existence. It is to director Lee Daniels’ credit that this message is ultimately able to shine through a story that sometimes is too much to take.
