The movie that will eat your soul

The 2009 blockbuster Precious, based upon the novel Push by Sapphire, started getting a lot of internet buzz way before its release. Its appeal lies mostly in how different it is: a sixteen-year-old, overweight (mer, obese) African American girl (Clareece “Precious” Jones, played by Gabourey Sidibe) living in poverty in 1980’s Harlem, while withstanding the relentless abuse from her mother. While expecting just a story of simple domestic abuse, the story explores many more dimensions and plot twists.

Its rawness, complemented by its deep melodramatic undertones and excellent cast performances, is where the film truly has its power. Within the first five or ten minutes, we see Mary (Mo’Nique) calling Precious a “big fat dummy” all because dinner was not made on time--and all of a sudden, a frying pan is tossed at the back of Precious’s head. The movie doesn’t bore the viewer by over-establishing exposition and background by aimlessly shooting the streets of Harlem (what I expected before I saw the movie); rather, a palpable conflict is immediately established by that one flying frying pan. The viewer is thrown into the action and is hooked for the rest of the movie.

The excellent story development continues from there. Precious is shown as relatable and, more important, lovable. By her first classroom appearance, the viewer knows she’s intelligent (her favorite subject is Math) and has an innocent crush on her teacher. She is established not just as a victim, but as a true teenager with desires and wishes. Precious eventually must be transferred to another school to get her GED due to her second pregnancy, under the direction of Blu Rain (Paula Patton)-—whom we later discover is a lesbian after she takes Precious into her home when she has no where else to go--and later, a social worker, Ms. White (Mariah Carey).

When she is called “fat” by a fellow troubled schoolmate in this special school, Precious slaps her. I loved seeing her slap the bitch around a little bit, showing the audience she isn't just some desperate, pathetic, and weak loser, the girl can fight back and flex some muscle! Despite this initial conflict, eventually all of the students bond and Precious slowly begins to improve her reading and writing skills. Things seem to be improving for Precious with her new-found friendships that she has never had before, which serve as an outlet for coping. Just when you think things will get better for good ol' lovable Precious, her life spirals out of control. As if it’s bad enough that she detests her appearance, her mother from Hell abuses her physically and mentally, her father repeatedly raped her and got her pregnant twice, later on in the film, it is unveiled that her father has died, due only to complications brought upon by HIV (and now she has it too).

Ms. Rain steps in to help Precious in her time of need after she (FINALLY) runs away from home when Mary throws her newly born infant on the floor. Precious’s bond to both her children (her first child is a mongoloid named “Mongol”) allows her to realize the danger that staying with her mother will bring upon them as a family. The film perfectly executes the believability of this decision of running away and answers the question why on that particular day does she decide to do so, which is indicative of excellent story and character development. Movies frequently struggle with climaxes and it is seems haphazard and mis-directed, but this is certainly not the case here. This scene is one of the most pivotal where Precious’s character undergoes great change: no longer will she allow herself to be a victim to her mother’s torments, even if she has no where else to go. The scene lends itself to being intentionally tedious, drawn out, and nerve-wrecking: one fears for Precious and her baby’s safety as she slowly climbs up the familiar staircase to her apartment, with her baby clenched close to her chest. Had Precious quickly entered Mary’s apartment, the scene would have lost a lot of its effect and brilliant foreshadowing.

The best parts of the film are Precious’s fantasies that are crushed by the harsh reality of her surroundings. The parallels and contrasts are phenomenal. Take for instance: her fantasies about her Math teacher complimenting her intelligence and owning a house with him in a ritzy area (I think it was in Westchester?), she sees herself as a celebrity donning a beautiful red gown and waving to her adoring fans while they lovingly call her name, and in yet another fantasy that is reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye, she glances into the mirror in her room seeing herself as she wishes she was, as a skinny blonde with blue eyes. Heart-breaking, I know.

Blu Rain, however, tells Precious that she is beautiful in her own skin-—both inside and out. Precious only comes to understand this after her turning point when she recognizes her own courage and runs away from home. It is only at this point that she is able to accept herself. Mary re-surfaces towards the ending of the film when she reaches out to Precious as a last resort in not wanting to die alone from HIV. Precious stands up for herself and says she has no desire to ever see or hear from her again, and frankly, you applaud her decision. Despite ending on a somewhat uplifting note in Precious wanting to be a good mother, as she skips along the Harlem streets after picking up her children from school, the bleakness of the film is still a prevalent force: we know death is inevitable for her.

It is a film that rivals the bleakness of the 1990’s film Requiem For a Dream. Whereas the tribulations of Ty, Harry and Marion are horrific and heart-wrenching as well, their world of suffering is one that they brought upon themselves with their own drug addictions, but in Precious, the sixteen-year-old is unfairly thrusted into that world of hardship through outside forces that she cannot control.

Brilliant. 9/10.