Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Lee Daniel's Precious lucidly deals with difficult subject matter in a heartbreakingly blatant fashion. Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is illiterate, pregnant with her second child, overweight, and constantly abused by her vicious mother (Mo'Nique). Whenever she encounters another round of caustic verbalizations she instantly retreats into a fantasy world where she's where it's at and everything's perfect. Things are seriously hard up until she receives the chance to study at an alternative school where she meets a colourful cast of disenfranchised characters. After finally having met some people who treat her with respect, she begins to bounce back and develops a colourful personality of her own. Definitely not the easiest film to watch, Precious provides its audience with a bold taste of what it's like to suffer. While overtly displaying some of the most gruesome representatives of humanity, it also champions hope and focuses intently upon how one can escape an outrageously abusive situation, thereby saluting democratic social safety networks and the strong individuals responsible for making them work.