'Precious' is a bleak but hope-filled drama with fantastic acting

It only takes a few scenes into the bleak, but hope-filled drama "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" to realize you're in the presence of two commanding actresses whose courageous, uncompromising, full-bore performances rank among the decade's very best film achievements.

Brooklyn-born Gabourey Sidibe plays Precious, an obese and illiterate 16-year-old Harlem teen who, as we learn, has been repeatedly raped by her mother's boyfriend and already given birth to one baby. As the story begins, she discovers that she's pregnant with a second.

Sidibe gives herself completely over to the character, under Lee Daniels' sensitive direction, and creates a complex, compassionate portrait of such strength and vulnerability that we accept her wounds and pain as our own.

But it's the magnum performance by Mo'Nique that blows the film out of its sprocket holes. As Mary, the mother of Precious, Mo'Nique gives a human face to the monsters of ignorance, selfishness and cowardice in scenes of raw, unabated abuse that leave us breathless and slack-jawed in disbelief.

Daniels' incendiary drama remains relatively tasteful, but be warned: It doesn't back off for political correctness, decency or audience comfort.

"Precious" is a bluntly pro-education movie, one in which the put-upon Precious encounters a new awareness once she enters an alternative school under the guidance of Ms. Rain (the charismatic Paula Patton), a caring teacher committed to education, even outside of class.

I only wish that Daniels had more confidence in his film so he didn't feel compelled to frill-up the narrative with distracting quick-zoom shots (wrongly suggesting a documentary) and superfluous time-lapse dissolves.

"Precious" opens Friday at the River East 21, Chatham and City North in Chicago, the Evanston Century and the Country Club Hills 16. Rated R for language, sexual assault. 109 minutes. . . . .

A major reply for Dann

To Dann Gire, in response to your recent review of "21 and a Wakeup."

In 1971, I served as a trauma surgeon at the 24th Evacuation Hospital in Long Binh Vietnam. This movie, unlike any previous, not only is the first U.S. movie to be shot in Vietnam, but represents an aspect of the war neither seen nor understood by most. It is about saving, not taking lives, and about honoring the least honored, our nurses.

You have challenged the reality of what you saw on the screen and "could any of this be real?" It was indeed real. The 24th was one of the last major hospitals serving the Vietnam War.

The scenes that so disturbed the critics are based much on fact. I can put real names on most of the characters in this movie. We lived, we loved, we tried to save lives and we partied. We had PXs, banks, clubs, and much of what the "World" we had left might provide, all be it (sic) in a war zone. However, what we did the most, was, in the chaos of the war, try to save lives.

We wish to honor that by this movie. The claims made that it looked nothing like Vietnam are wrong. Ask any veteran. The movie, indeed, did look, and was the Vietnam I knew in 1971. The Vietnamese were intelligent and articulate people. Much as you see in the movie.

They were also a people in great conflict, pitting brother against brother. We chose to release this movie in Chicago as it has a long history of honoring our past, and our veterans. With Veterans Day fast approaching, I believe this movie needs to have its message brought to our citizens, a message few, if any other movies about war have conveyed.

I hope you will take an open-minded opportunity to reassess this movie. As further proof of its reality, I've attached a PowerPoint with pictures of me, and the real Vietnam of 1971.

It should be noted our burn nurse looks just like Amy Acker. The scene with the helmets and sandbags is the night my associate and I removed a live grenade from a soldier.

Respectfully, Marvin A. Wayne, MD, Maj MC, USA, 24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh, Vietnam 1971, also Associate Clinical Professor, University of Washington, EMS Medical Director Bellingham/Whatcom County Washington, and Attending Emergency Department St. Joseph Hospital, Bellingham, Washington.

Major Wayne: You have apparently mistaken me for another film critic, as I never "challenged the reality" of the events in "21 and a Wakeup," nor did it ever "disturb" me, outside of Faye Dunaway's shockingly cadaverous appearance, which I tactfully avoided in my review out of respect for her career and her obvious dedication to playing a role she should never have been considered for.

Before writing my review, I attended two screenings of "21" just to be sure my initial assessment was accurate. The second viewing confirmed that the movie was worse than I had remembered.

"21" remains a poorly directed, badly written, lethargically edited and amateurishly performed work.

That you have not disagreed with a single one of my criticisms leads me to conclude that you would prefer that I review "21" strictly on the basis of its worthy subject matter and not on the basis of its shoddy execution.

- Dann

Two Polish film galas!

For its 21st birthday, the Polish Film Festival in America will offer two opening galas, at 7 p.m. today at River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St., Chicago, and at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Pickwick Theatre, 5 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge. The fest will show an estimated 70 movies. Go to pffamerica.com or call (773) 486-9612 for tickets and schedules.

'Lorna's Silence'

The After Hours Film Society presents the Dardenne brothers' "Lorna's Silence," about an Albanian immigrant who has second thoughts about helping kill her drug-addicted husband-of-convenience. The film will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Tivoli Theater, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. General admission is $9. Go to afterhoursfilmsociety.com or call (630) 534-4528.

007's license to thrill

Join me and film historian Raymond Benson as we examine the dossier of James Bond to discover why he's the most durable character in movie history. Clips from "Dr. No," "Goldfinger" plus many others are scheduled. Free admission! Join us at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave., Arlington Heights. Call (847) 392-0100 or go to ahml.info