How Can So Much Ugliness be so Precious?

DVD Review: PRECIOUS (Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire)
starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Shepherd
directed by Lee Daniels

Some, most people even, go to the movies to escape their reality. They want to be entertained, for the most part, by something mindless and easy to watch whether it's a romantic comedy or a cheesy horror flick. I don't care if a movie makes me feel uncomfortable, sick to my stomach or horribly sad, as long as it makes me FEEL. A film does it's job well enough for me if it makes me think or feel any type of intense emotion and this is the perfect example of a movie that may be tough to sit through, but is completely rewarding when the credits roll at the end. Think of it like spin class - you go in and you're like UGH! I do NOT feel like being here, but when the class ends you feel so great that you went through the agony!! It's rare that a movie like this even comes along. A movie that is so gritty and raw and stays with you forever. It's a gem to find filmmaking this powerful, and Mr. Lee Daniels has executed Precious without flaw, earning him a spot on my "I can't wait to see what he does next" list. Despite some of the ugliest and most disturbing images one has to stomach, there is so much beauty in this film. As an audience member, the most precious gift you can witness are the performances that stay with you long after the movie ends. Mo'Nique is, without question, worthy of every single trophy that she took home this Awards season. Her performance is simply unforgettable and you will marvel at how truly gifted she is. While the raunchy stand-up comic's role as the worst mother imaginable is most of what gets discussed when people reflect, she is hardly the only actor worth celebrating. Newcomer Sidibe is very special in the lead role and you are forced to question how someone, so different from her character, making her film debut, can even channel such a performance. I loved Patton, all of the girls in Precious' class (especially little miss fluorescent beige!) and even Mariah really impressed me. I'm sure a lot of you are thinking Precious is something you can live without seeing, but I feel humbled and appreciative that I was moved by an felt the things I felt watching. It's not up to me to tell you the "message" or what you should take from it should you choose to give it a go. Great movies make each viewer leave with something unique, and for me Precious really lives up to its name.

My Grade: A