Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire (15) (From The Northern Echo)

Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire (15)

2:24pm Thursday 28th January 2010 in

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Stars: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey
Running time: 110 mins
Rating: ★★★★

CLAIREECE Jones – the Precious of the title – is a 16- year-old girl living in Harlem.

Hers is not a pretty existence.

Her mother Mary (Mo’Nique) is violent and given to beating her daughter when not pretending to be a loving mother and grandmother for the benefit of visiting social workers.

Precious has a child, with Down’s Syndrome, by her father and, as we discover in the opening scene when she’s summoned to the school principal’s office, she’s pregnant for a second time after being raped again by him.

The choice she’s given is simple – expulsion or agree to attend an alternative schooling project called Each One Teach One, run by Ms Rain (Paula Patton). Her style is more caring than previous teachers. She has a lot of time for Precious, determined to help her improve her lot in life despite the horrors of her home life. These are truly terrible, leading to a harrowing scene in which her mother beats and kicks her down the stairs while Precious is holding her baby.

Director Lee Daniels allows her – and us – brief respite from the daily round of hassle and violence with fantasy scenes in which she imagines herself on the red carpet at a film premiere or modelling at a fashion show.

Sidibe is amazing in the title role, showing grim determination to escape her abusive parents after her new teacher shows interest in her well-being and education.

Mo’Nique too is a showstopper as a woman without a flicker of maternal love in her body.

We’re also treated to a small but convincing turn from singer Mariah Careyee, without a whiff of make-up, as a social worker appalled by Precious’s description of her home life.