‘Precious’

Plot Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Claireece ‘Precious‘ Jones has been physically, mentally and sexually abused since she was 3 years old. Now, pregnant with her secondchild, illiterate and kicked out of school, she’s sent to an alternative learning center where a whole new world is opened up to her.

Genre:

Drama

Starring:
Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd

Director:
Lee Daniels

Review:
I have to admit… I am definetly one of those people who will refuse to watch a movie that is so overly-hyped it won’t possibly be as good as you expect it to be when you watch it… I’ve given in a few times… usually to a result I had always expected; The movies sucked.. that is, until I watched Precious. It was exactly what it was hyped to be and more. I wasn’t expecting that, especially since the trailers and interviews have made it out to look like Mariah Carey is in 90% of the movie, when really it’s more like a grand total of 5 mins. That said, she did really well. I was shocked because most of the actors who starred in the movie are people you would expect to completely bomb, but I can honestly say, without a hint of sarcasm, that all of them gave Oscar-worthy performances.

The Golden Globe nominations came out this week with Precious being nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress (Gabourey Sidibe) and Best Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique). I’m a little shocked that Lee Daniels didn’t receive a nomination for Best Director, but the Academy Awards noms will be out soon and I’m sure the film will be getting a lot more nods, as there are far more categories. If Mo’Nique doesn’t win in her category, I will be shocked. I haven’t seen someone be that passionate about a role in a long time… I can’t rave it enough.

This movie is passionate, beautiful and above all, has heart and is completely relatable. I strongly urge all of you to see it, not because it’s nominated for everything or because it’s well-made, but because it has a lesson. It’s meant to teach us all not to judge people on what you see, be it mental illness, or in Precious Jones’ case, being pregnant, kicked out of school and illiterate at 16, but rather to hear their stories and to understand why we all are the way we are.

Rating:
5/5