Tuesday, November 10, 2009

'Precious' -- 3 1/2 stars


The first 20 minutes of “Precious,” the full title of which is “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” are so intense and pitched so high, you may not feel like sticking it out. My advice: Stick it out. This is an exceptional film about nearly unendurable circumstances, endured. You will come out the other side of it a markedly enriched filmgoer.

The story of Claireece “Precious” Jones” tells of a New York City teenager living in 1980s Harlem, raped by her barely glimpsed father, abused by her unfathomably cruel mother. Precious is illiterate but bright, and against her mother’s wishes she switches to an alternative school where, in a literacy workshop, she comes under the life-saving tutelage of Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). The 16-year-old Precious has one child and another on the way, both by her own father. Her life (and director Lee Daniels’ wrenching film) becomes a mosaic of pain and promise, sunny skies and grief, with enough of an emotional impact to put a dent in the most jaded audience.

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