Movie Review -- Precious ****

Yeah...it probably seems like I give everything four stars. Well...I don't. Just you wait -- I have some bad reviews to write. Boy howdy, do I have some nasty things to say about some movies. Just you wait and see.

Anyway, Precious is a fantastic film. It's gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. But, it is also masterfully acted all the way around, well-written, and, though some points of direction were likely a little ill-advised, it's more than adequately structured.

Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe is the film's title character. She's a morbidly obese African American teenager. Early on, we find out that she's 16, still in middle school, and pregnant with her second child. Shortly thereafter, we learn that both of her children were fathered by her own father. Her mother, played by heretofore always-annoying Mo'Nique, is perpetually angry and extremely abusive of Precious.

Sounds fun, eh?

The movie tells Precious's story as she tries to dig out of this hole and make something of herself. Too often, movies like this tend to be about the protagonists' realizations that, deep down, they're really awesome. After they discover that they are actually smarter, prettier, or more athletic than other people, they are able to achieve success. That's not the case with Precious. Ultimately, this story is as much about the people around Precious as it is Precious herself -- the teacher and students at the new special school she attends, the social workers (one of whom is played by an uglied over Mariah Carey) who try to help her, and even Lenny Kravitz as a nurse who takes a special liking to Precious when she's in the hospital delivering her child.

I honestly can't say enough about the performances in this movie. Sidbe was the perfect choice for this role. She is instantly believable as a character whose ignorance and subtle bitterness is overshadowed only by her quiet grace and desire to be treated with dignity. Her portrayal of Precious switches flawlessly between pathetic, humorous, insightful, and empowered. Given her appearance, her ability to nab mainstream roles in the future is likely to be limited. She'll have to make due with the Oscar nomination she's surely going to receive for this role.

Surprisingly outdoing Sidbe is Mo'Nique as Precious's abusive mother. In all the crap she's done in the past, Ms. Nique was apparently hiding an ocean of talent. It is difficult to portray a character that the audience is supposed to hate one minute and slightly empathize with the next, yet she pulls it off without a hitch. Quite honestly, I don't know if I've seen a better performance in any movie this year.

All in all, Precious is outstanding. Given the subject matter, I can't recommend it to everyone. But, for those with the stomach, it is well worth seeing.