Precious | reviews, news & interviews
Precious
Precious
Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe shines in this award-winning modern urban fairytale
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/mast_image_landscape/public/mastimages/8aa5d86c6efa5c856b1990d375cdb2f6.jpg?itok=mRm-USHF)
Streetwise: Gabourey Sidibe in Lee Daniels's Precious
What an odd and provocative coincidence that black women - hardly a demographic over-represented in mainstream cinema - should be at the centre of two high-profile American films opening this week. One is The Princess and the Frog, also reviewed today on theartsdesk. The other is the multi-award-winning Precious. In the former, the princess is a brunette edition of Disney's pretty Barbie prototype. Near the beginning of Precious, by contrast, when you first spy this sullen, seriously obese figure waddling into view, you might be forgiven for asking, "Do I really want to spend 110 minutes in this character's company?" The answer is not a foregone conclusion.
What an odd and provocative coincidence that black women - hardly a demographic over-represented in mainstream cinema - should be at the centre of two high-profile American films opening this week. One is The Princess and the Frog, also reviewed today on theartsdesk. The other is the multi-award-winning Precious. In the former, the princess is a brunette edition of Disney's pretty Barbie prototype. Near the beginning of Precious, by contrast, when you first spy this sullen, seriously obese figure waddling into view, you might be forgiven for asking, "Do I really want to spend 110 minutes in this character's company?" The answer is not a foregone conclusion.
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Film
![Harrison Ford smash: Red Hulk gets mad](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Captain%20America%20Red%20Hulk.jpeg?itok=01U17AdD)
![Greek earners: Aram Sabbah as Reda and Mahmood Bakri as Chatila in ‘To a Land Unknown’](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/To%20a%20Land%20Unknown.png?itok=Eo9FfoxZ)
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Memoir%20of%20a%20Snail_0.jpg?itok=OKCSmthk)
![In the driving seat at last: Renée Zellweger and Leo Woodall](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/2577_D060_01051.jpg?itok=3gQmAZH-)
![Listen carefully: Toshiro Mifune and Kyōko Kagawa in 'High and Low'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/1_yexeJVA4AqR4uc0NjOZusg.jpg?itok=bCsGV6VO)
![Wolves and sheep: Barry Keoghan as Jack](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/bringthemdownjacktruck.jpg?itok=zX2fbLSX)
![A whole new ballgame: Leonie Benesch and John Magaro in 'September 5'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Munich%201.jpg?itok=nA5LU0SH)
![Post-war blues: Murakami (Toshiro Mifune), Satō (Takashi Shimura) and chorus girl Namiki (Keiko Awaji)](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Stray%20Dog%20%28Nora%20Inu%29_Image%202%20with%20Harumi%20%C2%A9%201949%20Toho%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.%20All%20rights%20reserved.jpg?itok=aW_lXen9)
![Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Pansy at 'home'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/cinema_39b362.jpg?itok=D30c2IT1)
![Acting up: Belushi (Matt Wood) faces down Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle); Curtin (Kim Matula) and Newman (Emily Fairn) stand by](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/DF-02623_2000x1333_thumbnail.jpg?itok=YK9tQ09v)
![Jeonim (Kim Min-hee) with her uncle, Chu Si-eon (Kwon Hae-hyo)](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/bythestream%20jeouncle%20copy.jpg?itok=Q40TUOaC)
Add comment