My instant favourite for the fast approaching award season has to be this little gem. Relentless and constantly surprising, this is a film full of darkness for forever headed towards hope. The biggest surprise of the film has to be the cast. Gabourey Sidibe stuns in her restrained but ferocious debut performance. Even two musical stars (Kravitz and Carey) show up and give very good performances. Both are unrecognisable. The real star of this show though is Mo'Nique. An 'actress' that has, in the past, irritated me. Even her stand-up is too vulgar/crass and unfunny for my taste. Here, she excels on every level. It's hard to gain sympathy and understanding towards a character that is so unlikable and has ignored the sexual abuse of her child for years. Incredibly, Mo'Nique does it, keeping her distance from the audience before the films final moments. Lee Daniels directs well, mixing the real and fantasy without going overboard. He knows when to use fancy camera work, and when it's time for his actors to take charge. This film is difficult but riveting.
Review of Precious
