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Reviews Counted:203
Fresh:185
Rotten:18
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: Precious is a grim yet ultimately triumphant film about abuse and inner-city life, largely bolstered by exceptional performances from its cast.
Theatrical Release: Nov 6, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $47.5M
Synopsis: In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life... [More]
Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton, Mo'Nique
Director: Lee Daniels
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This isn't The Biggest Loser, where self-esteem is measures in kilos, but this is in fact a film about a teacher nurturing a young woman's mind and soul, carrying the torch of films like To Sir With Love, Stand and Deliver, and Dangerous Minds.
Sidibe fearlessly embodies a member of society that deserves recognition. Illiteracy, obesity and abuse are tragic and uncomfortable realities that Precious goes a long way to demystify.
Propelled forward by tremendous performances, Precious is a pedestrian exploration of social themes and mental, physical and sexual abuse.
Director Lee Daniels finds a visceral style to make us feel [the] hurt, but this is a story of triumph, not hopelessness.
Most notable for the performances of newcomer and Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique,as her abusive mother. Set in 1980s Harlem, the film would be just another inspirational tearjerker were it not for the dedication of the performers and the visua
The fetid insanity of it all seems appropriate given the circumstances.
It's a simple story, told well with some blinding performances.
Un drama duro, conmovedor, que rescata la importancia de la solidaridad y la asistencia social ante la desesperanza. Hay un increíble duelo actoral entre Mo'Nique y Gabourey Sidibe, dos de las mayores revelaciones actorales del año.
Precious is a triumph of the soul, a triumph of a film and a heart-warming story that will touch all but the toughest cynics.
What makes Precious bearable are the moments of warmth, hope and humour that are delivered mainly during the scenes with Precious's teacher and classmates.
While it may not be perfect on a technical level, dramatically it’s a blow-your-socks-off triumph. Be moved. Very, very moved.
A film full of life and love, well-meaning and, judging by the reaction in the US, a genuine and important phenomenon that says act – don’t dwell – on your dreams.
Impressive performances power a surprisingly lively account of an existence blighted by material and spiritual poverty.
Precious is a big-screen “misery memoir” that is so keen to trace the hellish pathology of familial abuse that it risks glorifying its own subject, or at least shooting it with horror-movie verve.
It isn't the transcendent masterpiece that some admirers would have you believe: more like a black-comic nightmare that isn't exactly supposed to be funny. It's certainly arresting, though.
It’s enough to make you cry. Equally, it might make you laugh. Daniels is a director who would find it hard to imagine puddings can be over-egged, or that Monty Python’s 'We’re So Poor’ sketch was meant to be funny.
Employing a suitably chiaroscuro film language to balance the emotional extremes of the subject matter, his vision is a lively composite of urban nightmare and garish escapism.
Stylishly told and earnestly acted, Precious is a far from pleasant cinemagoing experience but a worthwhile one.
As a slice-of-life drama free of melodrama, sentimentality and cliché, Precious is priceless.
A moving mix of melodrama and social tract graced by courage, heart, soul and a lumbering but resilient heroine.
February 5, 2010:
Five Favorite Films With Precious' Gabby Sidibe
For a first-time ever actor, Gabby Sidibe's been thrown directly into the glare of the spotlight: the star of Lee Daniels' critically acclaimed inner city drama Precious has found herself nominated...
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February 2, 2010:
Oscar Nominee Gabby Sidibe Talks Precious
Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe had no aspirations to be an actress before she took on the title role in Lee Daniels' Precious, which might be why her astounding performance felt so real -- and why she's just...
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December 4, 2009:
Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
Five or six years ago, the Sundance Film Festival was more famous for showing dozens of worthy, politically correct movies that instantly disappeared than the odd breakout hits that it spawned, which...
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November 29, 2009:
Black Viewers Divided Over Precious
Critics have been nearly unanimous in their love for "Precious," but in the black community, the response has been much more complex.
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November 29, 2009:
Satellite Awards Nominees Announced
Signaling that the awards season is about to begin, the International Press Academy has announced the nominees for its 14th annual Satellite Awards.
More...
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