MOVIE: Precious

Oscar season can be an exciting time. Personally, I enjoy being up to date with as many of the contending films as possible so when I make my water-cooler arguments, I can speak with some intelligence. Many times, films, directors, or actors chosen by the Academy for this annual honor are quite deserving. Other times its hard not to get the feeling someone was just saying "isn't it about time..." or there were a few greased palms in the nomination process.

The later is definitely not the case with Precious. Although the book, entitled Push, by Sapphire, is much more graphic and its vivid descriptions of the brutality the main character endures, the movie does not shy away from them either, although most of them are brought up in dialogue and not through actual imagery. The story is minimally adorned and powerfully acted. Many of the actors involved go so deep into their roles they become virtually unrecognizable as their very different public personas. Mariah Carey, in her minor role as a social worker for the welfare office, is impressive in her caring yet tired office worker stripped of make-up and fashionable designer duds. Comedienne, Mo'Nique, famous as one of the sassy founding "Queens of Comedy," also tones it down and turns it up as the lazy and angry mother of the title character. Also virtually unrecognizable is musician Lenny Kravitz, who plays a nurse is a small but meaningful role, during several hospital scenes.

But major praise should go to Gabourey Sidibe, who plays Clareece 'Precious' Jones with the truth of a girl well beyond her 26 years. Precious is a teenager who has endured incestuous sexual abuse, as well as physical and emotional abuse her entire life. Pregnant with her second child, by her own father nonetheless, she and her mother live in Harlem, on welfare, as her mother continues to work the system. Precious is a good person trying to do right in a world that seemingly doesn't want her. She escapes this hell she lives in through fantasies, based on her desired life as a model, singer, actress, Hollywood super-star with a "light skinned boyfriend." Precious is by no means societies model of beauty, but Sidibe's performance makes us not only care about and love Precious like not many do, but also see that Precious is beautiful.


SPOILER: One of the most powerful and incredible scenes for me was when Precious, upon returning home after giving birth to her second child, a boy named Abdul, is accosted by her mother in a fit of jealous rage, boldly decides to leave home, once and for all. In fight with her mother, the television, her mother's life-blood of sorts, gets broken. After falling down the apartment stairs with her baby in her arms, exhausted from her hospital stay and the fight, Precious then must dodge the broken TV set as it is dropped on her from several stories above by her own mother, back fro one last 'punch.'

As difficult as this film was to watch at times, it occurred to me that this is some peoples' reality. We really have no idea what goes on behind other walls and doors and our "bad days" might be spilt milk to many other people. This movie is beautiful, but just like the book, it was created to make point. I think all Oscar-quality movies should meet this standard before anyone writes anything on a ballot.

Sergio del Limónar

*Good luck to both Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique for being nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Also to director Lee Daniels for Best Director and the entire ensemble for Best Picture. (Precious was also nominated for Best Editing and Best Writing - Sceenplay.)