Critics reviews

Unflinching in its portrayal of abuse and poverty, fantastic performances from the whole cast, in particular Sidibe and Mo’Nique, take us on a rollercoaster journey that leaves us feeling emotionally drained by the end.

“Precious” would not be so soul-rattling if the filmmaking were timid. Daniels is fearless. He seems to have required the same from his actors.

What makes this movie so special is that it is more than the sum of its extraordinary parts – more than the harrowing story inspired by Sapphire's novel 'Push', more than the heartfelt and utterly compelling performances of leads Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique or even the message at its core.

Undoubtedly, the heartfelt lead performance from newcomer ­Gabourey Sidibe is a powerful spectacle... What I found disconcerting was the extreme shift of tone between the extravagantly nightmarish, and the inspirationally upbeat.

Daniels doesn’t really have subjects — they’re pawns, campy cut-outs at best — and even then he’s so readily bored by them he allows screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher to saddle them with clichés and platitudes... [Precious is] an extended group-hug, a chance for slumming posh celebrities to show how 'real’ they are.

[Precious] oozes empathy from the first scene to the last. It’s inescapably bleak, but occasionally it has the confidence and spirit to emerge from the shadows of its tragic story... ‘Precious’ is very affecting and has some great performances, especially from Sidibe and Mo’Nique, but the film is arguably more heart than art.

The pathos of the main character’s woes and struggles is almost inescapable, and I didn’t try to escape it: identifying with her and rooting for her was a positive, if rather simple, pleasure.

Little can prepare you for [the film's] raw power, and a heart-rending journey to self-acceptance and hope... While it may not be perfect on a technical level, dramatically [Precious] is a blow-your-socks-off triumph.

[Precious] has the kind of authenticity and ugly immediacy that make the tears of a viewer sitting in the dark safety of a movie theater seem a little silly — indulgent even... Daniels and Sidibe give us a Precious we can’t deny, who earns our respect even more than our pity. Dignity is her victory.

[Precious] may be the worst-feeling feel-good story ever committed to celluloid... For all the air of authenticity [the film] accrues... it is a work of fiction. And as such, there's something borderline distasteful about the extremes of invented abuse heaped upon poor Precious.

It's hard to believe that a movie that traffics so operatically in images of brutality and squalor can be so fleet, assured and lyrical. But such breathtaking contradictions abound in "Precious"... which in the course of introducing the viewers to unspeakable despair, manages to imbue them with an exhilarating sense of hope.

Nothing quite prepares you for the rough-cut diamond that is “Precious.” A rare blend of pure entertainment and dark social commentary, this shockingly raw, surprisingly irreverent and absolutely unforgettable story... should not be missed.