PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL “PUSH” BY SAPPHIRE (USA 2009) *
Directed be Lee Daniels

Set in Harlem and based on Sapphire’s experiences in teaching, director Lee Daniels’ PRECIOUS concentrates on the life of abused fat 16-year old African American, Claireece ‘Precious’ Jones (Gabby Sidibe). 

Precious has everything ‘not’ going on for her.  Twice impregnated by her father, abused by her mother (Mon’Nique), mother of a Mongoloid then of an h.i.v. positive baby, kicked out of school, what more can one imagine could happen to her.  Only good things then!  The audience is then led to believe that Precious will pull herself out of the s…hole to read and write with the aid of one unbelievable goody-two-shoes teacher (Paula Patton) who is in the picture because she just loves to teach. 

But Daniel (producer of films as MONSTER BALL and THE WOODSMAN which deals with nasty topics) throws subtlety out the window.  His film is downright blatant with foul language, vomit and other nasties splashed right at your face, in case you did not get the point.  His camerawork is awful, camera placement questionable and whenever he does get a good shot (tone with the teacher first meeting Precious), he overdoes it by doing two segments with it same (shot). 

Lenny Kratvitz and Mariah Carey also embarrass themselves in this film with minor roles.  And what is it with one scene in which Precious cannot read the phrase ‘A Day at the Shore’ and the other, not long after attending classes when she is confidently reading aloud the entire fairy tale from a book?  I should personally take these English classes.

PRECIOUS won the TIFF Audience Award for most popular film.  You might want to check this film out in case you might not agree with my take.