RSS 2.0 FeedDecember 9, 2009, Film
"Precious" is dark reminder of America's problems
America is supposed to be a shining beacon of hope to the world, but the emotionally intense drama "Precious," with a memorable performance by newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, reminds us that there are plenty here at home whose American dream is a hellish nightmare instead.
America is supposed to be a shining beacon of hope to the world, but the emotionally intense drama Precious, with a memorable performance by newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, reminds us that there are plenty here at home whose American dream is a hellish nightmare instead.
The setting is 1987 Harlem and obese, 16-year-old Clarieece "Precious" Jones (Sidibe) dreams of being on BET and magazine covers. In fact, every time she faces a stressful situation, she turns to her glamourous fantasy world. The trouble is that she has to resort to this a lot.
Precious is pregnant with her second child, the result of rape by her father. She's smart ,but her reading capability is below junior high level. Her lazy, welfare-addicted, racist mother Mary (Mo'Nique, TV's The Parkers) is emotionally and physically abusive. At one point Mary even tells Precious that she wished she had aborted her.
Thanks to the principal at the public school she is expelled from, Precious is enrolled into an alternative program where she receives one-on-one interaction in a literacy class from a caring teacher, Ms. Rain (Paula Patton, Deja Vu). But there isn't a silver-lined climax that smells like roses. Life will continue to be hard for Precious, only in a different way.
It is uplifting to watch Precious slowly improve herself through the all-girl special class she attends, and Ms. Rain is a heroic character for her extra efforts, however, the bonding between the initially hostile students and their teacher, plus their academic progress, is boringly predictable(see Blackboard Jungle, Dangerous Minds).
Precious has become a critical darling and at Sundance this year it won three awards, including a Special Jury Prize for Mo'Nique's performance. It also received five Independent Spirit Award nominations, including best supporting female for Mo'Nique and best female lead for Sidibe.
In a truly surprising dramatic turn, Mo'Nique brings to life one the most despicable mothers ever portrayed on the silver screen. You can feel her character's hate, which is grounded in jealousy and bigotry and leaves no room for pity. Her overall performance is something you won't soon forget.
Of course there is already Oscar buzz surrounding Sidibe's debut. It's certainly well deserved attention because she fits perfectly into her role from the instant she appears on screen. The question now is can she follow up with a full-fledged acting career or will she be just a one hit wonder?
Precious is a bitter slice of Americana that many people haven't seen, or don't want to. It's brutally honest exposure of poor, inner city life and what some minorities have to endure, no matter what time frame, is troubling. After all, America is the most powerful and arguably the wealthiest nation on earth, yet we can't seem to fix our own problems.
On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, Precious receives an A-.
Precious is rated R and has a running time of 109 minutes.
Now showing through December 24 @
Leawood Theater
3707 W. 95th St.
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com or call 913-642-1133 for showtimes.
Indie Film Editor
Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.
In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.
Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.
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