Life is Precious.

This is the part where I admit that I was wrong to judge a film by its trailer; although, I suppose about 50% of this blog does just that...

Lee Daniels' Precious does not descend into the manipulative melodrama I had anticipated. Rather, it is a raw, honest look into a child's journey towards self-empowerment. I'm now convinced that the Tyler Perry, Lifetime crowd-pleasing trailer is nothing but a marketing ploy that misrepresents the film to draw in a more mainstream audience. Whatever works, I suppose, but it completely lowered my expectations going in.

The film possesses perhaps the greatest ensemble of actors I've seen in the past three years, with not a weak link to be found in the mix. For her first movie, Gabby Sibide is mesmerizing as our leading lady. To watch her grow from a child who has kept mum for years about her abuse to a strong, confidant young woman is fascinating, and Sibide never falters. Given that the Academy loves a great first-time performance, I think she's a safe bet for Best Actress.

But the real surprise here is Mo'Nique, longtime standup and comedic actress, who plays Precious' abusive mother. With her command of this dramatic performance, you'd think Mo'Nique has been doing this for years. She made me feel so much hate and pity towards her character in those two hours.

This review does not come without criticisms though, and at the top of my list is credibility. At a glance, Precious appears to be a composite character of many headlines from the 1980s, as a victim of depression, illiteracy, poverty, HIV, unwanted pregnancies, and physical and sexual abuse. It just seems to me like a lot of problems to load onto one character, however insensitive that may sound.

Regardless, Precious is a well-crafted drama that the Academy will likely fawn over, and I'm now predicting nominations in many major categories.