Robin PottratzPowerful "Precious" is one of the year's best ***1/2 stars out of 4
December 7th 2009 03:16
One of the rare and unbelievable joys in movies or life is when something is hyped up to a ridiculously high level...and then lives up to every single claim. That joy echos through every frame of Precious, the new gem from Director Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer). I didn't think that a film about a morbidly obese girl who is pregnant for the second time through incest with her father all while being abused by her horrid mother could uplift and cut to the core to the extent that Precious does...boy was I wrong.
It helps that this is one of the most well acted films in recent memories...especially when you look at the cast on paper. Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz...but they all deliver...though it should be added that some deliver more than others.
In one of the most astonishing acting debuts ever Gabourey Sidibe plays Careece Precious Jones as a overweight, inexpressive but pained shell of a teenage girl in 1987 Harlem. Precious is 16 yet still in junior high school and is living in her own personal hell, no wonder she will escape into unrealistic television fueled fantasies where she is a blonde supermodel. The primary source of Precious' trials would be Mary (Mo'Nique), the mother from hell who verbally and physically abuses Precious at every possible moment.
Precious' fortunes change when her school intervenes and sends her to an alternative school where she sees her window out of purgatory in the form of her teacher Blu Rain played with beauty and grace by Paula Patton. Precious' support system also includes a kind hearted nurse (Lenny Kravitz), the hard nosed administrator of the alternative school (Sherri Shepherd...all de-Viewed out) and the welfare officer who eventually learns too much (Mariah Carey...miles away from the stink of Glitter).
All of the performances are solid and Gabby Sidibe's portrayal of Precious is Oscar Worthy...but there is one performance above all that will hold you in sublime thrall...
Nothing will prepare you for the performance of Mo'Nique as the disgustingly abusive mother of Precious, Mary. Normally, Mo'Nique is the definition of glamour. She prides herself on being sexy and fabulous regardless of size. To see her as monstrously ugly as she is in Precious is an unbelievable shock. However it would be nothing more than a novelty if she didn't deliver the goods.
Mary is a angry and heinous blob who would rather sit on her ass, wolf down hog's feet, and rely on welfare checks...which are the only reasons for her toleration of Mongo (short for mongoloid), Precious' down syndrome infected first child that she had with Mary's husband/ her father. Mongo's worth to Mary is measured in how much welfare she can receive.
How Lee Daniels uses both Sidbie and Mo'Nique on screen together is especially fascinating. There are two instances that stand out. One is a sequence where Mary is dancing in the living room while Precious looks at a photo album in her room. She glances at an old glamour shot of Mary...the picture comes to life and softly says "get some rest Precious...you have a big day tomorrow."
The other instance is where Precious and Mary are watching TV and Mary is making Precious devour a plate of Hog's Feet because it wasn't satisfactory for her to eat. They are watching a black and white Italian movie. Suddenly Mary and Precious are characters in the movie...they are both clean and beautiful...and then in Italian Mary tells Precious to "eat the dinner you whore."
What Daniels does with these scenes is display a real sense for segmentation. He knows how intense the scenes of abuse are...however he does not want us to forget that under the right context...these are two softly attractive women. They are a nice visual break for the viewer and adds even more depth to both performances...especially Mo'Nique's
Everytime Mo'Nique is on screen...you are pinned to your seat and a chill runs down your spine, especially when every interaction she has with Precious involves intense cruelty and one startling revelation after another. For 90% of her performance it would be easy to peg Mo'Nique's Mary as one note. However, the final revelatory scene in which Mary shares her reasons for abusing Precious (she believes that Precious stole her man) will sneak up and break your heart. After taking in this monster for 90 plus minutes...you suddenly take pity and sympathize with her...even after she graphically describes the first instance of Precious' sexual abuse at the hands of her father.
I know its early...but for all of the other potential candidates for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar who have to go against Mo'Nique I have one thing to say...Good Luck...you will need it.
Despite the terrific performances...Precious really belongs to the two creative forces behind it. The source material...the novel Push by Sapphire, the poet and former teacher is beautifully adapted but the screenplay would be for not if it weren't for the keen storytelling eye of Lee Daniels. Daniels isn't afraid of touching on the dark issues that make the film such a tough sell (incest, abuse, HIV)...but in not skirting those issues, he has made something truly powerful.
As Precious reaches its triumphant, shocking, and powerful conclusion...the experience of Precious, her struggles, her joy, her pain...you feel like its your own...which is rare in this day in age at the movies. Yes, the journey is dark...but Precious is a soul shattering experience and achievement...one that is definitely not to be missed.
It helps that this is one of the most well acted films in recent memories...especially when you look at the cast on paper. Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz...but they all deliver...though it should be added that some deliver more than others.
In one of the most astonishing acting debuts ever Gabourey Sidibe plays Careece Precious Jones as a overweight, inexpressive but pained shell of a teenage girl in 1987 Harlem. Precious is 16 yet still in junior high school and is living in her own personal hell, no wonder she will escape into unrealistic television fueled fantasies where she is a blonde supermodel. The primary source of Precious' trials would be Mary (Mo'Nique), the mother from hell who verbally and physically abuses Precious at every possible moment.
Precious' fortunes change when her school intervenes and sends her to an alternative school where she sees her window out of purgatory in the form of her teacher Blu Rain played with beauty and grace by Paula Patton. Precious' support system also includes a kind hearted nurse (Lenny Kravitz), the hard nosed administrator of the alternative school (Sherri Shepherd...all de-Viewed out) and the welfare officer who eventually learns too much (Mariah Carey...miles away from the stink of Glitter).
All of the performances are solid and Gabby Sidibe's portrayal of Precious is Oscar Worthy...but there is one performance above all that will hold you in sublime thrall...
Mo'Nique as the mother from hell in "Precious"
Nothing will prepare you for the performance of Mo'Nique as the disgustingly abusive mother of Precious, Mary. Normally, Mo'Nique is the definition of glamour. She prides herself on being sexy and fabulous regardless of size. To see her as monstrously ugly as she is in Precious is an unbelievable shock. However it would be nothing more than a novelty if she didn't deliver the goods.
Mary is a angry and heinous blob who would rather sit on her ass, wolf down hog's feet, and rely on welfare checks...which are the only reasons for her toleration of Mongo (short for mongoloid), Precious' down syndrome infected first child that she had with Mary's husband/ her father. Mongo's worth to Mary is measured in how much welfare she can receive.
How Lee Daniels uses both Sidbie and Mo'Nique on screen together is especially fascinating. There are two instances that stand out. One is a sequence where Mary is dancing in the living room while Precious looks at a photo album in her room. She glances at an old glamour shot of Mary...the picture comes to life and softly says "get some rest Precious...you have a big day tomorrow."
The other instance is where Precious and Mary are watching TV and Mary is making Precious devour a plate of Hog's Feet because it wasn't satisfactory for her to eat. They are watching a black and white Italian movie. Suddenly Mary and Precious are characters in the movie...they are both clean and beautiful...and then in Italian Mary tells Precious to "eat the dinner you whore."
What Daniels does with these scenes is display a real sense for segmentation. He knows how intense the scenes of abuse are...however he does not want us to forget that under the right context...these are two softly attractive women. They are a nice visual break for the viewer and adds even more depth to both performances...especially Mo'Nique's
Everytime Mo'Nique is on screen...you are pinned to your seat and a chill runs down your spine, especially when every interaction she has with Precious involves intense cruelty and one startling revelation after another. For 90% of her performance it would be easy to peg Mo'Nique's Mary as one note. However, the final revelatory scene in which Mary shares her reasons for abusing Precious (she believes that Precious stole her man) will sneak up and break your heart. After taking in this monster for 90 plus minutes...you suddenly take pity and sympathize with her...even after she graphically describes the first instance of Precious' sexual abuse at the hands of her father.
I know its early...but for all of the other potential candidates for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar who have to go against Mo'Nique I have one thing to say...Good Luck...you will need it.
Despite the terrific performances...Precious really belongs to the two creative forces behind it. The source material...the novel Push by Sapphire, the poet and former teacher is beautifully adapted but the screenplay would be for not if it weren't for the keen storytelling eye of Lee Daniels. Daniels isn't afraid of touching on the dark issues that make the film such a tough sell (incest, abuse, HIV)...but in not skirting those issues, he has made something truly powerful.
As Precious reaches its triumphant, shocking, and powerful conclusion...the experience of Precious, her struggles, her joy, her pain...you feel like its your own...which is rare in this day in age at the movies. Yes, the journey is dark...but Precious is a soul shattering experience and achievement...one that is definitely not to be missed.
| 94 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog