‘Precious’ offers inspirational message through disturbing content

Monday, March 15, 2010 - 7:04 PM

“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” is one of the most shocking, disturbing and touching American films to come around in a long while. It deals with situations — such as incest — that are rarely portrayed in films. “Precious” pushes the boundaries of issues pertaining to race, abuse, sex and poverty — all while managing to be a truly inspiring story.

“Precious,” directed by Lee Daniels (producer of “Monster’s Ball”), centers around 16-year-old Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a black, morbidly-obese, illiterate girl from Harlem who is pregnant with her second child by her father. Precious is severely abused — emotionally, physically and sexually by both her father and mother. The film follows Precious, who seems to be hopeless and living a hellish reality, as she finds the strength and courage to rise above her nightmarish situation and the people who placed her there.

While the story of “Precious” is truly a great one, the poor execution of the film weighs down this diamond in the rough. Odd camera angles and choppy editing filled with unsightly jump cuts and awkward scene transitions decrease “Precious’s” aesthetic value and makes the film as rough as the titular character’s life. In order to lighten up the film’s darkest moments, such as a disturbing scene showing Precious being brutally raped by her father, daydream sequences featuring Precious’s ultimate dream of being famous with a “light-skinned boyfriend” are interjected throughout the film. While these daydream sequences are meant to make this jagged pill of a film easier to swallow and provide moments of relief, they just ruin the flow of the film and seem to be cop-outs.

While the execution of the film is less than great, the amazing acting in “Precious” is what makes it so awe-inspiring. Sidibe, who makes her acting debut in “Precious,” does a truly impressive job portraying the broken character. Precious is a character that could have easily been over-acted and played with melodramatic undertones, but Sidibe’s ability to play her in a seemingly effortless and subtle manner gives the film a truly genuine feel. Anyone who is not a sociopath will surely feel devastated for the abuse Precious is made to endure during the film. However, actually liking the character of Precious is another story. Between her almost constant catatonic-like state during the beginning of the film and her tendency to be physically abusive to her peers and a little girl that is her neighbor, Precious’s character is definitely not the most likeable and relatable for a protagonist.

Although Sidibe’s performance is undeniably amazing, the real scene-stealer in this film is Mo’Nique (“Phat Girlz”). The comedienne showcased her vast range by playing Mary, Precious’s evil, abusive, monster of a mother.

“Precious” also gave Mariah Carey the chance to prove her ability to act through her portrayal of a stern yet kind social worker. Paula Patton (“Mirrors”) also does an amazing job portraying Ms. Rain, Precious’s teacher and saving grace.

Although “Precious” is often touted as an inspirational film, the ending may seem to contradict that notion at first. The final scene of the film features Precious walking down the street while holding her two children with a hopeful glint in her eyes. This may not seem like a traditional happy ending to American movie-goers who are accustomed to fairy tale endings, but the ending is inspirational in the fact that Precious has finally broken free from the shackles placed on her by her situation. Even though Precious is HIV-positive, homeless, poverty-stricken, unemployed and the mother of two children that are results of inbreeding, she still has hope for the future. For those who question what the point of a film as disturbing, brutal and depressing as “Precious” is, the purpose is to send out a message of hope and illustrate the idea that even the most incredibly fettered can be freed.

‘Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire’

DVD Release Date: Mar. 9

Director: Lee Daniels

Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Mariah Carey

Genre: Drama

Rating: R

Grade: B