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This Girl's Life

"Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" has so many strikes against it. The film stars virtual unknowns, with a few musicians thrown in the mix (including "Glitter's" own Mariah Carey), tackles after-school special material and is produced by none other than Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. In short, it's about as inviting as a pitcher of celery-flavored soda. But go ahead, take a sip -- you just might be surprised.

Director Lee Daniels ("Shadowboxer") has managed to take Sapphire's beloved novel and turn it into a brutal and mesmerizing feature, without ever making it feel like the artificial atrocity it could have been. In the lead role is newbie Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidib as an overweight, used-and-abused, 16-year-old African-American growing up in '87 Harlem. She is raped by her father and impregnated for the second time, and her welfare-exploiting mother (Mo'Nique) takes emotional and physical cruelty to new plateaus. "We are ugly, black grease to be wiped away," Precious says. Her dreams of escaping to a better reality are minimal as she has made it to junior high without anyone noticing that she can't read.

"Precious" is the kind of movie that will really put your life in perspective. Annoyed that your boss is taking credit for your brilliant ideas? Cursing the unwanted pimple on your chin? Feeling inferior because someone dared to reject your Facebook friend request? There's an everlasting parade of inanities that march through our daily lives but, to quote singer Phil Collins, "It's just another day for you and me in paradise." This film puts an exclamation point at the end of that sentence.

At its core, "Precious" is a story of hope, but just barely. Once Precious gets transferred to an alternative school, under the guidance of a warm, maternal teacher (Paula Patton), she starts to come into her own. Her spunky classmates become like her surrogate family, as they haven't been dealt the easiest hand in life either, and she also bonds with a male nurse (a barely-recognizable Lenny Kravitz) and a concerned social worker (a surprisingly-capable Carey). But for every good thing that happens to Precious, there's another pitfall just around the bend, so brace yourself.

Though the film is undoubtedly disturbing, it avoids feeling like an overdone assault on the senses, thanks to the sharp script, level-headed direction and realistic performances. Sidib is like a gentle teddy bear that has had its stuffing ripped out and a limb or two torn off, but still maintains a sense of spirit. Anyone watching will want to come immediately to her rescue. On the other side is Mo'Nique, who does a 180 from her comic roots and is so pathetic yet menacing that she makes Mommie Dearest seem like a Buddhist monk. It's a performance you won't soon forget, try as you might.

"Precious" sure isn't precious in the slightest, but it's a powerful film that sucker punches the gut and, much like the lead character, refuses to be dismissed.