Precious

"An urban nightmare with a surfeit of soul, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire is like a diamond -- clear, bright, but oh so hard."

"A moving mix of melodrama and social tract graced by courage, heart, soul and a lumbering but resilient heroine."

"Nimble and self-assured as Mr. Daniels’s direction may be, he could not make you believe in “Precious” unless you were able to believe in Precious herself. You will."

"A movie about an obese Harlem teenager who's raped by her father and abused by her mother. It's depressing, devastating, harrowing and repulsive. But there are lyric flights of hope interspersed among that raw naturalism, and that's what makes this movie amazing."

"A great American film."

"By now the buzz surrounding this film has filtered through to here, but those seeking escapist entertainment beware; Precious is raw, uncompromising and damn depressing - but just a little brilliant."

"An emotionally exhausting, brilliantly acted, riveting film."

"I can only say, if you’re up for it, this film is one of the most powerful and moving few hours you will ever spend in a cinema."

"As Precious, Sidibe is superb, allowing us to see the inner warmth and beauty of a young woman who, to her world's cruel eyes, might seem monstrous."

"While it may not be perfect on a technical level, dramatically it’s a blow-your-socks-off triumph. Be moved. Very, very moved."

"Precious does what it does, and tells what it tells, with a power and a style that has never been brought to bear on this material before. In the lead role, debutante actor Gabourey Sidibe is astonishing."