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4 Stars****

It may be an old cliché that you don’t know how the other half lives if you don’t come into contact with their way of life on a regular basis. This movie will set you right. When the father rapes his three year old daughter, later father’s her two children and the mother doesn’t really care much about anything, then you know it’s time to reflect, especially when you find a 16 year old, who despite her obvious intelligence, can’t read or write.

So what’s it all about?

In 1987, obese, illiterate, 16-year-old Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) lives in Harlem with her dysfunctional mother, Mary (Mo’Nique). She has been impregnated twice by her father, Carl, and suffers long term physical and mental abuse from her unemployed mother. The family resides in a Section 8 tenement and subsists on welfare. Her first child, known only as “Mongo” (short for “Mongoloid”), has Down syndrome and is being cared for by Precious’ grandmother.

When you get a name like Oprah Winfrey involved in the producing side, you know this one is going to be a success. The direction by Lee Daniels is riveting. You won’t often see two hours go by so quickly.
The screenplay by Geoffrey S Fletcher is worth all the awards allocated so far, but it’s the headlines that allows the original author to keep her name in the title that remains a classic move of individuality from Sapphire (Ramona Lofton)

While the screenplay writer is the most obvious reason we go to see a motion picture, and it’s down to the director and his/her crew if we all like or dislike it, there’s no doubt that the general public base their thoughts usually on the actors’ performance. There are many fine presentations in this movie, including Mariah Carey who is ruefully brilliant in her a role so far removed from her real life presence, that I almost forgot how good she is both in her appearance and her acting ability. Let’s hope we see more of her soon. Paula Patton gives a great performance and looks like she really cares while it’s good to see Lenny Kravitz steal some scenes.

Among so many good performances, the main flash of light in high acting quality comes from Mo’Nique. You want so much to dislike her, for what she has done, for what she allowed and how she acts now, but there’s just something that makes you feel so sorry for her. This list tells you how well she did (and it’s probably rising by the week):

Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Stockholm Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Acting
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress

The budget was low in today’s terms but the rewards high. It deserves every cent.

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