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Precious

***

Stars: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Cary, Lenny Kravitz

Director: Lee Daniels

Rated: R

Showing: Southside Cinema, times unavailable.

Runtime: 110 minutes

Drama

This harrowing movie scooped the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize for best drama at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry were so impressed they immediately signed on as executive producers to promote it and ensure greater viewer numbers.

Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, it is the story of Claireece Precious Jones, a morbidly obese and illiterate teen from Harlem who is pregnant for the second time with her father's baby.

She is picked on a school and abused at home both physically and emotionally by her overbearing mother.

When she is kicked out of school, she enrols on an education prgramme for damaged young women and finds the strength to pull herself above everyone's low expectations.

The movie is directed by Lee Daniels, who produced the Oscar-winning Monster's Ball and the controversial but praised The Woodsman.

He balances the grim subject matter and poignant scenes with touches of humour, although the script is overly melodramatic at times.

The real highlight is the acting, especially from Gabourey Sidibe as the ironically named Precious.

Mo'Nique is tipped to win awards for her portrayal of monstrous mom Mary, while Mariah Carey is unrecognisable as a dowdy social worker.

Movies about downtrodden kids making good may be hideously clichéd but this one stands out from the crowd.

Watch if you liked: 8 Mile, Hustle And Flow.

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