Precious

You may have seen a trailer. Thanks to Oprah, you may have even heard about the story. You can’t imagine yourself sitting through 119 minutes of this tragic tale, but you will. Not only will you sit through it, you will actually be moved by it. You will, believe it or not, emerge from the theater into the brightness of day knowing (maybe for the first time) the power of hope. You will learn that hope can be enough to survive the worst life you can imagine. The problem is, for us, that life is unimaginable.

Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, the film Precious is a story of strength and hope. When the story begins in 1984, overweight, sixteen year old Precious Claireece Jones has already endured a life of physical violence and sexual abuse at the hands of her parents and is pregnant for the second time with her father’s child. She lives in a Harlem apartment with her mother and somehow manages to survive school, (though she can’t read or write) late night cigarette runs and beatings; all while pregnant. Though you won’t feel it in the opening minutes of the film, by the end; Precious has fully embodied her name.

The film is artfully crafted with a documentary style of video that captures the raw honesty that prevails in this story. Juxtaposed with high-tech colorful segments of fantasy sequences; this tapestry reveals the inner workings of Precious’ unyielding spirit. As with many abuse victims, Precious has the mental ability to will herself to another place in her mind when she is being tormented by abusers, bullies, or even her own haunting memories.

Geoffrey Fletcher and Lee Daniels bring this story to its masterful life on the screen.  Debut actress Gaboury Sidibe (Precious) has an acting depth that allowed her to portray this tortured young woman in a painfully real way.  Comedian Mo’nique  shocks us all with her achingly heartbreaking portrayal of  Precious’ mother. Paula Patton plays the ultimate teacher who cares for Precious beyond her school day and personifies the word teach (and reminds us of the same priceless gifts possessed by Sydney Poitier’s character in To Sir With Love). And finally, the nurse we would all enjoy at our bedside, Lenny Kravitz, who, as Nurse John, shows Precious a caring love that she has never seen.

The Rave Review loved this film. We have rated it 5 out of 5.