Bro, that movie was real sad, bro

I don't have a ton to say, but I have been watching movies a bit lately and so I've been thinking of other movies to watch. It's a sort of domino effect. You watch one, and you feel you have to watch them all. I have that sensation now, except with Avatar, that's right nerdly haters.

The other day, I watched Precious. I mentioned I was really psyched to see Mariah Carey with a beard, but the truth is that she kind of looked charmingly cute with le moustache. I even thought Precious was kind of a cutie. But this film isn't all about looks, it's got mad substance, bad substance too, and every kind of pain imaginable.

When I say that you really need to see this movie, I mean it. Many movies that show cruelty like this, the most severe sort, tend to desensitize someone like me. My brother and I walked out of Schindler's List for that reason. The misery becomes overwhelming and then its easier to shut down. Maybe that's why Jerry Seinfeld made out during Spielberg's epic, who knows?

Though Precious overwhelms, and the script and cinematography manage convey a strong, "life is horrible" sensation, there is a constant crutch of hope. Sure the end is miserable and mostly hopeless, but throughout the movie, there are many wonderful people that seem to guide Precious, just as she is wonderful in guiding herself.

I have my favorite lines, like "my favorite color is florescent beige," said by a classmate and of course my Facebook status, which I got a little wrong, but which is my new favorite thing to run around my head, "The other day, I cried. I felt stupid. But you know what? F*** that day." My friend Amanda noted that this was a sentiment also reflected in Anne of Green Gables, "Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" I don't know, but I feel like I relate to Precious' words better.

I thought this film was sadder that the saddest movie I've ever seen, Dancer in the Dark. I was so traumatized by Dancer in the Dark though, that I managed to block out the plot for years, only remembering that I cried for an hour after it finished. Precious is sort of an unforgettable tale and one that I won't be able to forget, just like I won't forget weeping heartily through the second half of the movie. I don't want to forget it though. That's someone's reality, and I don't get off on the misery of others, but it's good to be informed.

There's tons of talk about this being an Oscar-worthy performance by Monique. I'm not a movie critic, but I still believe she deserved the Academy Award for Phat Girlz.