When Precious, who is sixteen, learns to read and write at an Alternative School, she discovers a new world. A world where she can at last express herself in a way she never could before. A world where each girl can become beautiful, strong, independent. Just like Precious… —Cannes Film Festival
What everyone said: potent acting (even a Mariah Carey nails it), but such baggy, meretricious direction.
Some of the emotional scenes and dialog in this movie felt really melodramatic and overwritten; as if they were designed specifically to get the actors to emote (cry) as much as possible so that they could win acting awards. I'm all for emotional scenes in movies, but only if they feel real and organic. Many of the emotional scenes and monologues in this movie were so phony I was rolling my eyes.
Amazing performances all around (and from some unexpected sources) in the service of a grim tale buoyed with just a bit of hope. See it for the story. See it for the performances. See it to have your heart ripped open.
It's a stretch, and probably pointless, but maybe we can draw a few connections from the 25th Spirit Awards to the new issues of Cineaste
The fourth roundup of year-end and decade-end lists and awards was updated through Sunday morning (previously: 1, 2, 3). Now, a new week
This year's double-round of list-making - best of the year, best of the decade - is already well underway (see "Let the Wild Listings Start
It's a pretty interesting week for theatrical releases, and we'll get to those in a moment, but it's an outstanding week for Robert Ryan
The Hitman As Existential Hero: A Film Noir Invention?: Why is it that even the most unpretentious, not to say dumb, film noir is so
"As in Monster's Ball, which he produced, and his first feature, the equally odious Shadowboxer, [Lee] Daniels emphasizes only the worst
"Dear everyone with blase reactions to the NYFF lineup in the indieWIRE piece," C Mason Wells tweeted yesterday: "it must be hard leading
Precious tells the story of Clareece ‘Precious’ Jones, a teenager living in 1980s Harlem. Black, obese, living off welfare and repeatedly abused by her parents (sexually by her father, by… read review
Another average, urban-stigma-heavy feature. It was well executed, visually. However, my problems stemmed at the base of its story. You name it, this film has it. Teenage peer pressure, rape, physical… read review
Precious is as obvious and clear as the complexion of Mongol and her mother. When the ending credit rolled I kind of thanked God and cursed myself for the involvement of Tyler Perry. Thanking because… read review
Dans cette impressionnante traversée des ténèbres raciale et sociale, Lee Daniels nous présente une Amérique humiliée que l’on avait oublié. Si la réalisation manque un peu d’audace, il reste la force… read review