Lee Daniels is worth watching for his actors and his sympathy for outsiders. Precious shows both, along with his tendency to push an already difficult scene too hard.
Fi1m perspective
In Precious (2009), Gabourey Sidibe gives an abused teenager a sense of humour that keeps interrupting the misery. The girl has opinions of her own, even when the people around her seem determined to deny her much else. We were moved by the way Sidibe keeps that humour alive under such cruelty. Daniels deserves credit for allowing her this life beyond the abuse, although he sometimes presses the suffering until it becomes needlessly wearing. We recommend the film, with that substantial reservation.
His directing debut was the ensemble crime story Shadowboxer (2005), followed by wider acclaim for Precious. With The Butler (2013), he moved to a historical drama following a White House butler through successive presidencies. He also co-created Empire (2015–2020) and directed episodes of the music-industry family drama. The subjects and format changed, but his recurring taste for ensemble casts and heightened feeling helps explain the move into television.
Geoffrey S. Fletcher's adaptation of Sapphire's Push gives Precious a clear concern: the girl's struggle to accept herself. The writing is strongest when it lets her respond to other people with something besides distress. Daniels makes room for kindness, too, through Paula Patton's Ms Rain and Mariah Carey's Ms Weiss. These women matter because their help gives us something to attend to beyond the prospect of another injury. It is a useful reminder that this director can be attentive to ordinary acts of support, even in a film that strains so hard elsewhere.
The danger of excess has followed him beyond that film. The Paperboy (2012), which he co-wrote, drew criticism for camp elements that weakened its seriousness; The Deliverance (2024) also met complaints about cliché and excess. We recognise the problem in Precious, though its performances give us a good reason to stay with it. Start with Sidibe and Mo'Nique in Precious, and leave some quiet time afterwards.
Biography
Lee Daniels is an American film and television director, producer and screenwriter. He made his feature directorial debut with Shadowboxer (2005) and directed Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (2009), which he also produced.
Daniels attended Radnor High School and Lindenwood University. He previously worked in healthcare and as a casting director and talent manager before producing films including Monster's Ball (2001). His later directing credits include The Paperboy (2012), The Butler (2013), The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) and The Deliverance (2024). He created and directed episodes of the television series Empire (2015).
Precious earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Picture.
