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