Precious - and perfect

 “Precious” is the most heart-wrenching drama of the year, and it is such a shame that there is an audience of people too afraid and uncomfortable to face drama, even in the event of a happy ending, if it is too pure and close to reality.

Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is a 16-year-old girl living in Harlem with her abusive mother Mary (Mo’Nique), is pregnant with her second child after being raped by her father and is being suspended from school. A social worker (Mariah Carey) and a teacher at an alternative school (Paula Patton) each attempt to reach out to Precious, trying to be as tough as Mary so that Precious can stand up to her mother. 

People may watch Sidibe’s performance and say she is playing herself, but Precious cannot read or write, can barely speak and Sidibe simply has not known the horrors her character has. And yet she embodies a woman that is impossible understand externally, and she has shown much bravery in her performance in being able to do so.

Then there is Mo’Nique, whose transformation into this monster of a mother is unlike any female performance this year. There are many actresses that would be equally capable of conveying such tragedy, but none would be as real. Mo’Nique puts a demanding conviction behind her words. She is fierce and authoritative, but human all the same.

Precious does not ask that we sympathize or cry with her character, and yet we are drawn to her presence. Her story is lovely in the sense that it is solved by her own strength and conviction This is not a Cinderella story where she is lucky enough to find a man, teacher or rich white lady to care for her.

The result of “Precious” is about the happiest outcome one could hope for in such a bleak situation. It would have been worse of the film to achieve a comfortable ending, because within this sad situation is a glimmer of hope. 

I hope Precious does achieve her dreams or at least finds happiness in the remainder of her life. I hope the people who live like Precious find the courage to stop being silent. And I hope that the masses will have the courage to face such a film so that they too can be touched by it.