The genius of Mo’nique’s Oscar-winning performance is how it straddles a line. The over-the-top nastiness of abusive mother Mary would feel at home in a Bond film, but the pain she reveals in scenes with desperate daughter Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) is real. Ultimately, those forces come together in Precious’ determination to break a cycle of villainy the movie implies is much like a cycle of abuse.
