If you ever look at our Netflix queue you’ll notice our last 2 movies were Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief(say that 3 times fast) and Precious.
I doubt you could find 2 more different movies but I liked them both about equally.
Percy is a lighthearted tale of a young man who learns he is a demigod. A demigod is of course a child of a god and a mortal in Greek mythology. The story follows Percy as he learns of his “secret” and has to battle and work with other demigods to clear his name in the theft of Zeus’s lightning bolt. It had some great special effects and overall was an entertaining flick. Don’t expect to see anything deep but if you liked Lord of the Rings you’ll probably like this.
Precious on the other hand is a very, very dark movie about a subject that hasn’t been covered much. It’s about a 16 year old girl who’s father has raped her many times and impregnated her twice. The story follows the girl named Precious as she learns to fight back a little from her controlling mother and terrible past. Precious is portrayed by newcomer Gabourey Sidibe. Her mother is played by comedian Mo’Nique who I was not familiar with. Mo’Nique won the Oscar for Supporting Actress and she definitely deserved it. The movie was well acted and gives you a look at a side of life nobody would want to experience. I highly recommend it if you enjoy deep movies with a message.
I saw Precious, and I think my reaction was similar to yours. It was disturbing, and at first it was hard to empathize with the protagonist. But as I learned more about her life and what she had to cope with, I felt more admiration for her.
It left me feeling a little optimistic, but with the sad knowledge that many people live lives like hers and never get the chance to rise out of the squalor.
Comment by Daryl — Sunday August 8, 2010 @ 11:04 am
I’ve seen Percy Jackson. Carrie is a “cult movement” member (unofficial), and has all the books. I liked it, but thought it was much more amateurish than other movies of similar genre.
Haven’t been interested in seeing the incredibly depressing Precious.
Comment by Donna — Monday August 9, 2010 @ 5:41 pm
I’m with Donna on this one. I have a hard time watching disturbing movies. If I end up watching one, I’m usually glad that I did, but I will always choose something lighthearted over the ones about human suffering.
Comment by Dale — Sunday August 15, 2010 @ 1:46 pm