Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
In Harlem in 1987, Claireece "Precious" Jones is a 16-year-old African American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father, and at home she must wait hand and foot on her mother, an angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is chaotic and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and a secret – she can't read.
Precious is anchored by extraordinary performances — Mo'Nique's ferocious, Oscar-winning turn as the abusive mother and Gabourey Sidibe's raw, internalized lead performance are genuinely exceptional and elevate the film well above its material. The plot is relentlessly bleak and occasionally veers into melodrama, hitting familiar 'inspirational uplift against abuse' beats that keep it from being truly distinctive narratively. Cinematography is functional and gritty but not remarkable. Novelty is moderate — the film has a singular emotional intensity and some imaginative fantasy sequences, but its overall shape follows well-worn redemption-through-education drama conventions. The ending offers a degree of earned emotional resolution without feeling falsely triumphant, landing at a dignified but not extraordinary place.