PRECIOUS (2009)

Precious is sixteen years black skin high school girl of Harlem. She’s too fat and ugly, neither know how to read or write and everybody frequently humiliated her at school. But the biggest abuse lies at the home where her own father raped and made her pregnant for the second time and her physically and verbally violent mother. Life is a real hell for her for this unwanted girl until she joins alternative school. Guided by her new caring teacher, she slowly discovers herself and becomes positive about life.

Precious is too dark, violent and full of hard exploitation but it’s inspirational one for many ill fated abused ones. If Waltz was best evil human character this year, Mo’Nique is one of the worst mothers I’ve ever seen on screen. The last ten minutes of her reveling mind is the scene to watch, the reason enough why she deserves Oscar trophy of best actress. What I do like is the way director & writer explored the whole theme with utmost probability. Like ‘Avatar’, ‘The Blind Side’ or most of the US films, here it’s not white man who uplifts the black protagonist but the teacher of her own race; unusual for Hollywood film. What’s another feat is its out and out feminist film, there’s not a single male character except the only one who’s male nurse in a minor role. Few minus points are its flat narration, loose editing and quite stretching second half.

Ratings-7/10