Review of Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (2009) by Andrewburge — 07 Mar 2018

It's 1987 Harlem. Precious Jones is an illiterate, obese 16-year-old teenager living with her abusive mother throwing the weight of her own past sins on her (literally as she often abuses her physically). She is pregnant with her second child, conceived, like the first one, by being raped by her father. You would expect this to be the part where I would say "but [insert uplifting undertone here]". Unfortunately, Lee Daniels does not dramatize any of the above situations. He often treats them with the passive aggressive tone of the lead character, who, being born in a hopeless environment, is almost accept-ant of her fate.

In the same way, there is no need to dramatize anything in this movie, as everything is bad enough. More so, Precious' desperation for a happy life is often characterized with humor through her over-the-top ideal life fantasies with her "light-skinned boyfriend" by her side. Like I said, there is no hope for Precious on the horizon except the two women, the teacher at a special school and a social worker. Emotions get to them slowly, but that is only because, as Precious said at the end of the movie, "I like you, but you can't handle me". But yet again, this is not hope, these are just people doing their jobs. Sure, there are moments, pockets of happiness, like when Precious learns to read and write, and the ending in which she finally claims both her children, yet these are blank. As blank as the bad moments are, treated with the same style of soundtrack and the same passive-aggressiveness.

This equal treatment cements the entire undertone which Lee Daniels presents with this picture. This is not a dramatic story, this is not a victimization and a cry for help, this is simply life and how bad it can get.