FROM MTV.COM: Claireece Jones is one of life's write-offs: an illiterate, junk-food-fat Harlem teenager living on welfare with her viciously abusive mother and, from time to time, her father, who drops by to rape her. She already has one child as a result of his assaults — a little girl with Down's Syndrome — and is currently pregnant with another. Claireece's future seems anything but uncertain. Somehow, though, she's managed not to write herself off.

"Precious" is one of those rare movies that come winging in from nowhere and knock you out. Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the title character (Claireece goes by the name "Precious"), is an untrained actress — a Bronx college student whose only performing background is in school stage plays. But she has great instincts, and watching her draw out flickers of hope through the mask of sullen indifference that Precious presents to the world is thrilling to watch.

Continue reading 'Precious': Hell Up In Harlem, By Kurt Loder

FROM MTV.COM: With an impressive box-office opening this past weekend, "Precious" proved to be worth all the critical acclaim and excitement brewing around it. The film features standout performances by pop star Mariah Carey, comedian Mo'nique and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the title role. Sidibe credits director Lee Daniels for allowing the women to explore their characters.

"It was really, really cool. A lot of things that we said wasn't in the script, and so, like, we had free range," Sidibe said during her appearance on CBS' "Early Show" on Monday. "Mr. Daniels made sure we knew what the scene was about and that we can do whatever we felt like, and so it was really cool. And [Carey] was on her toes and I was on my toes, and it was almost like a fight, like a battle, because we are not friends really in this film at all. It was really cool."

Continue reading 'Precious' Star Gabourey Sidibe Describes 'Battle' With Mariah Carey

FROM MTV.COM: Claireece Jones is one of life's write-offs: an illiterate, junk-food-fat Harlem teenager living on welfare with her viciously abusive mother and, from time to time, her father, who drops by to rape her. She already has one child as a result of his assaults — a little girl with Down's Syndrome — and is currently pregnant with another. Claireece's future seems anything but uncertain. Somehow, though, she's managed not to write herself off.

"Precious" is one of those rare movies that come winging in from nowhere and knock you out. Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the title character (Claireece goes by the name "Precious"), is an untrained actress — a Bronx college student whose only performing background is in school stage plays. But she has great instincts, and watching her draw out flickers of hope through the mask of sullen indifference that Precious presents to the world is thrilling to watch.

Continue reading 'Precious': Hell Up In Harlem, By Kurt Loder

This weekend, audiences will get their first shot at checking out shoe-in Oscar contender "Precious," director Lee Daniels' adaptation of the book "Push: A Novel," by Sapphire. I checked it out at Sundance in January. To say that I "loved it" isn't quite accurate; it's a challenging film, with lots of craft behind a wholly depressing and frequently horrifying story. It deserves the accolades it's getting, but it's not the kind of movie you really fall in love with.

That said, there are some stellar performances. I thought the real standout was Mo'Nique, who plays the abusive mother of the protagonist, teenage pregnant girl Precious (Gabourey Sidibe). Sidibe has also been getting plenty of praise (the word "Oscar" keeps popping up in reference to her), as has pop icon Mariah Carey, who plays a small but vital role as a social worker. MTV reporter Akshay Bhansali recently caught up with Sapphire and Paula Patton (she plays a teacher at a progressive school in the film), and they were more than happy to talk about Carey's and Sidibe's contributions. Read more...

Tonight, the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off with the world premiere screening of "Creation," directed by Jon Amiel. The movie stars real-life husband and wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Charles Darwin and Emma Darwin, respectively. It is an adaptation of the Darwin bio "Annie's Box" by Randal Keynes.

Of course, "Creation" just kicks things off. There's a whole weekend of indie madness to immerse yourself in. Sure, those of us who aren't fortunate enough to be in Toronto are going to have to wait. But there are some good flicks coming out of the fest, stuff that you're sure to see hit theaters in some form in the coming months. Here are a few of the highlights we have to look forward to... Read more...