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Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire is a harsher, grittier and more realistic adult version of Matilda. An odd comparison to make, considering Precious tells the story of an obese illiterate teenager who’s pregnant for the second time by her father and is left with no confidence and self-belief ("sometimes I wish I was dead, at least I’ll be looking up").
Yet the two sides of the characters' lives at home and outside are the points of interest. Clareece ‘Precious’ Jones faces torment and abuse from her welfare-dependent mother at home but on the outside she has the chance to attend an alternative school to better her life. The struggle between the outside and inside forms the crux of the film and this struggle makes the film a powerful piece of cinema, that evokes a range of emotions.
Precious as a result of being pregnant is granted the opportunity to enrol at an alternative school. Her mother is fiercely opposed to such an idea ("school ain’t helped no one, get your ass down the welfare office"). The hideous relationship between Precious and her mother gives insight into the physical and mental abuse Precious suffers at home and highlights the struggle between the outside and inside worlds. Precious does enrol and with the help of Miss Honey’s counterpart, Ms. Rain, she begins to see that she is worth something and that she can make achievements. Precious’s new found confidence doesn’t sit well with her mother and the inevitable clash between the mother holding Precious back and Precious's determination to succeed takes place.
The film’s plot sounds like it's been tried many times before - a story about an inner-city underprivileged kid who makes it to the top - but Precious isn’t like that. The story of Precious is a lot more realistic; there are no magic beans that make all her problems go away. Instead we witness an honest open account of a person dealing with abuse, learning to write and being a single parent. The camera work here is brilliant and often gives a documentary feel to the film adding to the realism.
The acting and the casting in the film is the best thing about it. Gabourey Sidibe, an untrained actress who plays the role of Precious, gives a raw and realistic performance and is perfect for the role especially with the documentary elements of the film. Mo'Nique who plays Precious’s mother however is the star of the film as she provides an emotional and frightening experience for the viewer seeming ever so real. Ms. Rain played by Paula Patton however was the only disappointment for me in the film; the teacher just seems too good to be true, even going as far as taking Precious home with her. However this shouldn’t take too much away from the film and it is worth seeing for the performance of Mo’Nique alone.
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