God, I love this time of year. Recently, I was able to catch showings of An Education and Precious. Both terrific films.

An Education is the story of an English girl, Jenny Miller (Carey Mulligan), getting ready to finish her last year of high school when she will then go on to Oxford to complete her Education. However, the title of the film, I don’t think, refers to her academic education, but the education she receives from a man she comes to know very well.

One day on her walk home from school in the pouring rain, Jenny is offered a ride from David Goldman (Peter Sarsgaard). Thus begins a very intimate relationship between the two that eventually spirals out of control. As Jenny gets closer to David she begins to notice that things aren’t what they seem, that David may not be the good guy his exterior makes him out to be. But Jenny begins to accept these shortcomings and to some extent support them until it is almost too late.

An Education is a great film only to be dragged down by its quick-fix, happily ever after ending. The ending in no way ruins the film, but considering everything that precedes it, the ending could have been much more dramatic. However, none of that takes away from Carey Mulligan’s nearly flawless performance as the love-struck Jenny. She gives a star-making performance guaranteeing herself an Oscar nomination. Sarsgaard is good, but he plays the creep so often that it’s becoming monotonous. But overall, this is a rich, engrossing film that at times plays it too safe.

***

Now, onto Precious.

As I think about what to say about this film, I’m afraid any summary of the plot will most likely turn anyone, well anyone without much knowledge about the film, into a skeptic. I say this because any summary must involve mentioning of the cast which includes Mo’nique and Mariah Carey. But I beg you, trust me when I say that this is the most moving, most gut-wrenching, most near-perfect film I have seen this year and quite possibly in the last several years.

Precious is about, surprise, Precious (Gabourey Sidibe), an over-weight, illiterate girl living in Harlem and at age 16 she is pregnant with her second child and not by choice. Her mother Mary (brilliantly, yes brilliantly played by Mo’Nique) takes every moment to violently abuse her. Precious is kicked out of her school for being pregnant, and is sent to an alternative school. It is here that Precious blooms, but not without explosions in her life along the way.

Precious is an unflinching look at the darkest side of human life. It doesn’t patronize its audience, and it doesn’t turn its characters into clichés. Both of which could have easily been done in the wrong hands.

Both Sidibe and Mo’Nique give award-worthy performances, and I am going to go out on a very strong limb and say Mo’Nique has just won herself an Oscar. I kid you not. Also, Mariah Carey makes an appearance, and I promise you that if I hadn’t told you she was in it, you wouldn’t even recognize her. I knew the actress looked familiar, but it wasn’t until the credits rolled that I realized it was her. That really says something. If Mariah Carey, someone with an internationally recognizable face, can become next to unrecognizable, both in appearance and acting, you know she is doing something right.

At this moment, I honestly have nothing negative to say about this film. That would probably change with a second viewing, but this is about as good as movies get these days.

When the film ended, I was paralyzed. I coudn’t move. I was fucking blown away.

****