Precious (2009)

If you have no idea how bad life for the "have-nots" can get, this film will show you through the lens of a black, female, teen in 1987 Harlem. Precious is trying to survive poverty, incest, in addition to daily physically and emotional abuse. It is not hard to understand why Precious struggles to get a basic education. Despite the odds, you wonder how she can possibly hang on hope for a better life. This is the kind of film that will effect you in one of several ways: nothing is ever going to change, it has to change, I want to be involved in the change.

Precious is one of those movies that is so concerned with making a big political statement that it forgets to be a good movie. Everything in the execution department with this film screams incompatancy. There were moments when watching were I was genuinely confused as to why they did what they did. Honestly I am stunned by how people like this film. 3/10

I have seen many movies but this is easily one of the most stereotypical movies I've ever seen. The protagonist happens to be a morbidly obese dark skinned woman that loves stealing fried chicken (I kid you not). She's also illiterate and engages in an incestuous relationship with her father who ends up knocking her up with two kids, one of which has the Down Syndrome. Her mother is extremely abusive towards her (both mentally and physically) and her disabled child. All she cares about is her welfare check... go figure. Throughout the whole movie I felt like I was watching one of Tommy Sotomayor's Youtube videos (they usually address black stereotypes in the most satirical fashion). To top it all off the only "smart" characters were light skinned (the teacher and Dr. Weiss), all of the dark skinned characters were for lack of a better word one-dimensional and dull. I really don't know why so many people tend to think that this movie is "inspirational" or "empowering". As someone who's actually watched the movie I can assure you it's neither. The movie ends with the protagonist finding out that she contracted AIDS from her father. What an inspiration...On a personal side note I'd like to criticize the sloppy camera work at the end of the movie. During the entire last conversation with Dr. Weiss the camera was shaky (not to mention the completely random and uncalled for instances where the cameraman kept zooming in and out of the picture). If you're not used to it you might get motion sickness. The acting was top-notch but the story was rather weak/predictable.

One of the best comedy movies I've ever seen, hands down! I think one of the greatest and funniest scenes is when Ms. Rain, played by Paula Patton, and Ms. Weiss, played by none other than Mariah Carey, enroll Precious in the exclusive diet club/school for girls. When she gets there she wonders why she keeps gaining weight, not knowing that she is pregnant! LMAO!!!!! Being larger-than-life herself already, she didn't notice her belly growing! All the while, being at a "diet school", she was wondering why she kept gaining weight! LOL! Her mother, Mary, is played by Mo'Nique, who really plays the role to a T. Being her usual witty self, she fills the role with sometimes dry and sometimes "in your face" jokes and verbal sleight-of-hand. Mo'Nique just being Mo'Nique, I guess! I hear they are making a squeal, er, I mean, sequel: Precious 2, Light As A Feather. I can't wait!!!!!!!