Far from Precious

[steveeeeeeeee]

I've just watched Precious. I was really looking forward to it because I heard so much positive praise about it on its release and the stills I'd seen seemed really intriguing and I saw Mo'nique interviewed on Oprah and her story was really heartbreaking/touching.

But this film was awful and at times offensive. It starts off alright, but you soon realise that subtlety, depth and imagination weren't in the directors mandate. On top of that, once you get past Precious's physical appearance, you realise the actress playing her is quite limited. Keeping it together, keeping you watching, is Precious's mother played by Mo'nique, and fair-play, every scene she's in is dynamite.

But the trouble starts once Precious goes to the special ed classes, is placed in a class with Destiny's Child rejects and taught the alphabet by a member of Oprah's clique. There were so many things I hated in this movie from that point in, I just don't know where you'd start. I kept thinking what would Ken Loach do with material like this? There's this horrible patronising feeling of "these are black people's problems your watching from the comfort of your own home", all the people in any semblance of authority or control are lighter skinned (Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, the teacher). Compare it with "Ladybird, Ladybird", which focusses on the downward spiral a woman's life can take and the struggle to get out of it. Skin colour is irrelevant but being a woman is absolutely essential to the main character's hardships. I think that's where precious goes wrong, it's a film about race rather than sex.

The film is redeemed by the final scene and Mo'nique's justification in front of the playing-it-way-too-cool Mariah Carey. Mo'nique is f*cking awesome, yet even this scene is spoiled by Carey refusing to keep hold of Mo'nique's hand, Carey should never have had the chance to become the focus of that scene.

I guess it's worth watching for Mo'nique's performance and a film about her character might well have been more fascinating than the visually fascinating Precious. But I found large sections of this film unbearable.

[Incandenza]

Far from Precious

steveeeeeeeee wrote:

I kept thinking what would Ken Loach do with material like this? There's this horrible patronising feeling of "these are black people's problems your watching from the comfort of your own home", all the people in any semblance of authority or control are lighter skinned (Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, the teacher).

Your second point there is something that did not go unobserved at the time.

For your first point, I remember the movie being pretty warmly received by most black critics (Armond White, of course, being an exception).

[steveeeeeeeee]

Far from Precious

Is it a stretch to say black critics liked it because they didn't want to piss off Oprah? Thinking about it more this morning, I can't think of a film whose quality was so evidently removed from its critical reception.

Another thing I never knew about the film when watching it is that it isn't a true story - the whole thing is completely fabricated in a novel written in faux-illiterate style. This makes the film even more repulsive that it was when I saw it last night.

[Incandenza]

Far from Precious

steveeeeeeeee wrote:

Is it a stretch to say black critics liked it because they didn't want to piss off Oprah? Thinking about it more this morning, I can't think of a film whose quality was so evidently removed from its critical reception.

I highly doubt that. Besides Oprah, Tyler Perry was also a producer, and it's not like he's an untouchable figure above criticism. If anything, having Tyler Perry associated with it was more of a knock against the movie.

Another thing I never knew about the film when watching it is that it isn't a true story - the whole thing is completely fabricated in a novel written in faux-illiterate style. This makes the film even more repulsive that it was when I saw it last night.

Why is this your reaction to it being based on a novel?

I haven't seen the movie, so I can't really engage with you on that. But what I think that black audiences liked was that it was a completely black film--the novelist, director, producers, and the actors were all African American. And it became a big commercial and critical success and not just among black audiences. That it reached a mainstream audience I think was something that black critics and audiences could point to and say that white audiences would respond to a black film, something that Hollywood is usually very skeptical about.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Far from Precious

Seen the film Steveeeeeeee and from memory I pretty much agree with you, I found it harrowing at first then offensive as it just got more and more so. Did it need to be like that?

I would recommend people watch it though as it does have something to it, like you said a better director and team could have made it into a film with a much more effective voice for the community it was meant to represent rather than demonise.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Far from Precious

It's worth watching for Mo'nique's performance, which is so good you're willing to hang on through the happy-school bollocks. I almost turned over after about an hour but my partner wanted to see the end, I'm glad I did because as I said, Mo'nique's final speech is an incredible piece of acting. My partner thought it was sh1t too, and she's one of those people who cries easily when watching films, but she didn't shed a single tear for Precious, which amazed me.

I think that black audiences liked was that it was a completely black film--the novelist, director, producers, and the actors were all African American. And it became a big commercial and critical success and not just among black audiences. That it reached a mainstream audience I think was something that black critics and audiences could point to and say that white audiences would respond to a black film, something that Hollywood is usually very skeptical about.

It should be a film about women. The focus is on Precious and her life, which sadly could be the life of any girl around the world who is a victim of incest, an abusive home-life, a non-existent education and a severe lack of self-confidence.

I hate to introduce class into this discussion, but the film is overwhelmingly the product of middle and upper class African American's exagerated imaginings of what life is like down there at the bottom. So they choose the grossest bottom they can find and the more precious works her way up, the prettier the faces and the paler the skin become. Once she's had the second baby and Lenny Kravitz/Pale Blu/Mariah Carey have taken to her, it's like the film's saying Precious's success is in moving up the social ladder, being able to eat dinner with the middle classes and all that. It would be unimaginable that the film ended with Precious on welfare, but being a loving and caring mother - she had to say, "I'm going to go to university!" She had to attain a level of respectability in the eyes of the African Americans who made this film.

The other thing about the film that's been nagging me is the short scene when Precious is talking in class about something, but the class has suddenly got a white girl in it who is the most exagerated dyke you could wish to see. There are lesbians in the film and they're pale skinned, beautiful African American women. But the white girl was an utter stereotype, as if the director had the need to emphasise the lovely rainbow community of races and cultures in Precious's special-ed class.

[Gerontophile]

Far from Precious

I have this on 'record'. Should I watch it?

[steveeeeeeeee]

Far from Precious

For Mo'nique's performance, yes.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Far from Precious

Yes to see what all the fuss is about.

[jason voorhees]

Far from Precious

I only read the book, which is pretty outstanding (and even better, you can knock it out in 3-4 hours.) I wrote a review on the old otf, I believe.

But it's funny, because in your description about "race" and "sex", the book is actually about "enlightenment." It basically builds to the classes that Precious takes, and the final act is basically the papers that the students write.