Max Wojtanowicz (whitacre358)

An enchanting and moving effort by Miyazaki, but nowhere near his best. He has been simpler (My Neighbor Totoro), more sweeping (Howl's Moving Castle, Nausicaa, Mononoke) and more imaginative (Spirited Away) than this, but that's not to say that this lovely story isn't worth telling. I'd relate it most to Totoro in its gentle storytelling with no villains or sky-high stakes (until the end, like Totoro).

A horrifying and ultimately uplifting portrayal of an obese, illiterate teen mother, raped by her father and abused by her mother, who has been raped by life and ultimately comes out the other side able to live her life thanks to an alternative-school teacher and a social worker. In lesser hands, this could have been a Lifetime movie of the week, but Lee Daniels has such control of the story and knows these characters so well. He plunges us into hokey fantasties in Precious' mind, allowing us any escape from her daily torture. Gabourey Sidibe has an Oscar nomination locked up as the title character, but honestly, I can't imagine anyone this year (male or female, lead or supporting) giving a more engaging, powerful performance than Mo'Nique. The Oscar is hers to lose. I do wish I'd gotten a little more layer on the teacher and social worker characters, but ultimately it doesn't stop this from being one of the best movies of the year.

My favorite movie since I saw it on the Champs Elysees. Every performance is legendary, every moment is gorgeous. One I could watch and rewatch.