Full disclosure: I’m a Mo’Nique addict, so the moment this movie started generating buzz at Sundance, I couldn’t wait to see it. Then it won a bunch of awards. And then there was drama about who has the rights to release it. (Lionsgate won.) But rest assured, all is well, and the trailer for Precious has finally hit the interwebs and it lives up to all the hype.
First-time actress Gabourey Sidibe, who plays Claireece “Precious” Jones, an illiterate, pregnant 16-year-old with an abusive mom, can steal a scene with a glance. And we didn’t even recognize Mariah Carey at first! But honestly, the biggest surprise is MoN’que; we didn’t know she had this kind of depth to her. Playing a frying pan-wielding hate storm is a far cry from her sassy airport security guard in Soul Plane — but it’s a career risk that could earn the comedian an Oscar nom.
Watch the trailer below, and tell me that you don’t find yourself swearing under your breath in awe at how powerful it is. Release date TBA.