Precious, Mmh..

3rd February 2010

I’m always intrigued when a film divides the public and the audience in the way only films like Precious can do. There has been praise, awards and Oscar nominations. And equally some pretty harsh reviews like Guardian’s David Cox one, who defined it as ‘an insult to the poor’. Well, I have seen it four days ago and I still haven’t made my mind up. What I can tell for sure is that, regardless of whether you like it or not (but can anyone actually like a film of this kind?), it certainly sparks some pretty interesting debates.

Precious, screen version of Sapphire’s novel Push, is the bleak story of an obese black 16 year old schoolgirl from Harlem who, despite gruesome abuses from both her father and her mother, still holds on to her dreams of a better life for her and her children. It’s a grim tale and I’m not sure the ending is a happy one.

Precious is an independent movie endorsed by Oprah Winfrey. It has won several awards and shows off the likes of singer Mariah Carey as a social worker with bad skin and heart-throb rockstar Lenny Kravitz as a cute nurse. Quite uncalled for, if you ask me. Honestly, I spent a good twenty minutes wondering why these two where in the movie at all. It might have been to attract a bit of publicity around a story that, I’m sure, can’t be that appealing. Tube scenario, Man 1: ‘Oi, did u see that film with the fat black girl that gets abused all throughout the movie?’ Man 2: ‘Oh not yet, I really need to and see it!’. Mmmh, somehow I can’t see that happening.

But, it certainly makes you think, pulls out your stomach and stamps on it a few times while you watch it, but somehow I didn’t manage to identify with the character or sympathise with her. It pains me to admit it, but it left me a bit lukewarm.

Admittedly, though, there is a star that shines all over the gloomy reality of the story, and that’s comedienne and actress Mo Nique. Her performance as Precious’ mother is absolutely mind blowing, she’s so believable she actually scared me! Oscar winning material right there, if you ask me. Even newbie Gabourey Sidibe, who plays Precious, does such a great job and deserves a round of sincere applause.

Overall I felt glad that such tough issues where tackled on the big screen but I’m not sure it was done in the right way. My honest opinion is, I wouldn’t see it again but I am glad I did watch it.

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