Mariah Carey is a persuasive supporting actor when the role gives her more to do than be recognised. Her patient social worker in Precious is the performance we recommend, and a better reason to cast her than celebrity alone.
Fi1m perspective
In Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (2009), Carey asks questions and writes down the answers. As the social worker Ms. Weiss, she has a task, and she attends to it without making the scene about herself. We forgot who we were watching because her patient, plain manner kept our attention on the woman doing the work. The removal of glamour helps, but it would count for little if the performance kept asking us to notice the effort.
The route there was not especially promising. Glitter (2001), her first film lead as aspiring singer Billie Frank, drew poor reviews, including criticism of her stiff dramatic acting. WiseGirls (2002) brought some encouraging notices for a supporting performance alongside Mira Sorvino. Tennessee (2008) then put her in a supporting role in a film produced by Lee Daniels, who went on to direct her in Precious. The move away from a star vehicle makes sense to us, given how well she handles a smaller assignment there.
Daniels is the collaborator to follow, although our enthusiasm for his films has limits. Precious is carried by Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique, and its fantasy sequences repeatedly interrupt what those performances achieve. Carey is a useful presence in that film, not a reason to overlook its faults. Her later part as Hattie Pearl in Daniels’s The Butler (2013) belongs to another crowded ensemble, where Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey provide the strongest reasons to stay. We found that film affecting, but its insistent script and procession of famous faces required patience.
Later work includes voice acting in The Lego Batman Movie (2017) and a cameo in Girls Trip (2017). Those credits do not suggest a sustained move into the kind of drama Daniels gives her. Nor does one persuasive supporting performance establish that she ought to carry a film. We would welcome another part that lets her listen and respond, rather than relying on the pleasure of recognising her. For Carey the actor, start with Precious.
Biography
Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She made her feature film acting debut in The Bachelor (1999) and appeared as Ms. Weiss in Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (2009).
Her other screen credits include WiseGirls (2002), The Butler (2013) and voice roles in The Lego Batman Movie (2017) and The Star (2017). She has also made cameo appearances in films such as You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) and Girls Trip (2017), and guest roles on television series including Empire (2015).
