Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Genre: Drama

Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton

1987, a 16-year old illiterate, obese black girl gets raped and impregnated by her father, for the second time. Her unemployed mother, Mary (Mo'Nique) abuses and tortures her and accuses her of seducing her husband. Precious' high school principle recommends her to alternative school where she would have better chances of learning which would also motivate her. With the motivation of her new teacher, Ms Rain (Patton) Precious learns to read and gains self-confidence. She starts meeting a social worker Mrs. Weiss (Carey) who learns of her rape and her mothers abuses and tries to help her. The story is touching and reflects upon the hardships some children around the world face and how difficult life can get for them. The performances of Sidibe and Mo'Nique were phenomenal and deserve acclaim. The movie is slow to progress and can get a little boring at times. The plot seems slightly repetitive and the lack of constant new developments were missing.

Thumbs up: Performances
Thumbs down: Plot felt repetitive and a bit too slow

Rating: 7.0/10