Weekly Review -- Sunshine through the tears

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009) -- The often preachy and rarely genuine sub-genre of inspirational movies, ironically, is not always where you can find what these movies promise. Sometimes the message that was intended to be uplifting is contrived, sometimes it is lost in religious propaganda and sometimes the problem is all of the above. This is far from being the case with Precious, a story relentless in its depictions of a life so adverse, so oppressive, as not to be lived at all, yet one to come out on top and flourish.

Claireece Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is an obese and illiterate teenager in 1987 Harlem, abused emotionally and sexually by her own mother and father, and pregnant for the second time with her father's child. Occasionally, she loses herself in daydreams that give her respite from reality, if only momentarily. When her principal suggests enrollment in an alternative high school, she sees an opportunity to escape her harrowing existence. Slowly but surely, her much too stifled personality starts shining through, and all the obstacles on her way start appearing a little easier to handle, with the help of a dedicated teacher (Paula Patton), a caring social worker (Mariah Carey) and her classmates...

The complex style of the film is the first thing that separates it from other pieces dealing with similar issues. The fantasy sequences that Precious has created as a defense against her environment are cheerful, glowing, over-the-top vignettes; in contrast, the real life sequences are appropriately yellowish and gritty. This juxtaposition between flights of fancy and a life without hope does not only heighten the sense of hardship that Precious endures on a day-to-day basis, but also sporadically works on a level of social and media symbolism, bringing to mind themes that Toni Morrison's novel "The Bluest Eye" also tackled.

The acting is one of the reasons to see the film. Sidibe is an absolute revelation. Precious' personal growth is stunted in such a cruel manner, that any nuance of feeling that gradually breaks through her wall of silence is a shell-shocked awakening, played to perfection by the actress. Her performance is a true, natural transformation; the scene in which she finally breaks down and lets down her guard for good is heartbreaking. The honest poignancy in her acting is a rare phenomenon. This lady is a talent to watch.

And what else can we say about Mo'Nique? Her Mary Jones is the most monstrous "mother" I have seen in a while; I truly have no words to describe how despicable this character is. Her explosions of fury are chillingly tragic, and her misdirected hatred of her daughter is darkly, painfully sick. To sum it up, Mo'Nique blew me away. The monologue in which she attempts to "explain" and "justify" the years of molestation is one of the finest examples of acting I have seen in the past decade and the scene alone deserves an Oscar. The other cast members fare exceptionally well. Patton's Ms. Rain is a beacon of optimism in the chaos of hatred; Carey makes for a compelling Ms. Weiss, whose overwhelming compassion threads the line between being objective and being moved; and Lenny Kravitz has a Zen turn as a sympathetic nurse's aide.

Precious is a story about getting a second chance, finding oneself and never giving up. The film is an affirmation of maintaining belief in the future and making amends with the past, even when the future is uncertain and the past has dragged one down too many times to count. It shows that hope and joy are ones to beat in the game of life and proves that, no matter how grim the odds are, spirit can overcome anything that stands in its path.

10/10

Weekly Review -- Satirizing the satire

The Player (1992) -- Robert Altman's films are almost always conversational art pieces. His proceedings put a multitude of characters through a grind that is often shown from a neutral perspective, but that sometimes also verges on the surrealist, as is the case with The Player. High-powered movie studio executive Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) is dealing with a lot of issues. Not only is he about to become a former hotshot in the fickle world of Hollywood politics, but he has also been receiving threatening postcards from a writer he shunned in the past. The problem is that Mill has no clue as to who this writer is, what with all the scripts that found their way to his shredder. After an unfortunate crime is committed and Mill gets involved with an enigmatic foreigner (Gretta Scacchi), his past and present transgressions threaten to catch up with him... The Player is one of those films that reveals more and more of itself upon each viewing. The journey of the principal character, lacking redemption though it is, manages to spin a tale of an individual in a milieu that does not exactly value standing out or standing up for anything. We do not know what kind of man Mill used to be, back when he himself was a fresh-faced beginner in the cutthroat entertainment business; what we do know is that his morals are at an all-time low and that, at this point, he is grasping at straws, torn between salvaging the remains of his humanity and the debris of his career. Robbins gives a nuanced performance as a man who lost his soul a long time ago and is trying, in vain, to regain it. His best moments are in the scenes he shares with Scacchi, who brings sensitivity and naïveté to the character of June, a character auspiciously clad in white and drawn outside of the Hollywood tableau. Mill and June click instantly and, as their relationship progresses, it traverses the realms of confidante and confessor, saint and sinner, lover and loved, and always polar opposites; indeed, it is June's sanity that pulls Mill to her, but it is her affection for reality that juxtaposes the caricature of his own, mostly fake, existence. Other cast notables include Vincent D'Onofrio, who is a picture of jaded disappointment as a spurned writer, and Cynthia Stevenson as Mill's hapless girlfriend. The erudite screenplay reflects the irony and hypocrisy of an industry that sucks innocence out of dreamers more often than not. The celebrity cameos -- among them Cher, Harry Belafonte, Burt Reynolds and Angelica Houston -- are welcome and perfect for the story's context, while the ending is satisfyingly tongue-in-cheek. The Player is sure to rock any preconceived notions that you may have about the movie business, and its brittle humor will make you laugh and cry... unless, of course, you are still bold enough to test the shark-infested waters. Good luck.

9/10

Weekly Review -- Whimsy 1, World 0

Where the Wild Things Are (2009) -- Making a film that children and adults would find equally enjoyable can be a tricky task; adapting a popular children's novel and successfully transposing its themes onto another medium is another kind of riddle altogether, and it is one that Spike Jonze manages to solve in his latest offering. Little Max (Max Records) is a force of nature, mostly inhabiting his own world from day to day, going off on escapades and often worrying his otherwise overwhelmed mother (Catherine Keener). After an argument with her, he runs out and tumbles into a realm populated by feral creatures, who make him their king. However, no land is immune to strife and soon Max finds himself missing home... Almost imperceptibly, the film weaves layer upon layer of thematic elements as its narrative unfolds. Themes of one's family, nest, friendship and belonging are explored through the subtle and strong relationships that Max creates, but also those that he leaves behind. Records is a delight as Max, his eagerness and curiosity paving the way for Max's universe to open up even further. The creatures' voices, provided by such actors as Forest Whitaker and Catherine O'Hara, reverberate from another corner of the universe, contributing in unison to the sense of makeshift family and bringing life to Max's new habitat. The impressive costume and set design -- by Casey Storm and Simon McCutcheon, respectively -- comes straight out of childhood days, from a simple time of creating one's own kingdom out of sticks and stones. The film is a complex piece of work, reaching for the adult's comprehension and instinct by way of examining a child's playfulness, never patronizing its protagonist or vilifying the characters of grown-ups who have merely lost touch with the wild thing within. Where the Wild Things Are takes a stand for individuality and imagination with every sequence. It lets us know clearly that, no matter who we are or where we go or what we accomplish in life, there is always an inner Max or Judith or Ira waiting to come out and play.

10/10