Blu-Ray Review: ‘Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire’ is a Must-See

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CHICAGO – It’s a shame that a forgettable action flick forced Lee Daniels’s Oscar-winning drama to change its title from “Push” to “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.” It’s a terribly ungainly title, brimming with wordy self-importance. What if other films did the same thing? I shudder at the thought of, “An Education: Based on the Memoir by Lynn Barber” or “A Serious Man: Based on an Idea Concocted by Roderick Jaynes.”

However, once you get past the title, there’s no denying the overwhelming power of this picture. It stands as an enduring reminder that one of cinema’s greatest gifts is its ability to transport viewers into the mind and soul of another, thus universalizing their personal struggles and triumphs. How many moviegoers would’ve previously thought that they could relate to an illiterate, obese, pregnant and horrifically abused teenager, other than out of pity?

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0

“Precious” is set in Harlem, 1987. Sixteen-year-old Clareece ‘Precious’ Jones (newcomer Gabourey Sidibe) lives with an abusive mother, Mary (comedian Mo’Nique, not funny in the least), who seems determined to make her daughter’s life a living hell. When the troubled girl is ordered to attend a special, alternative school, her mother seethes with jealousy. It’s there that Precious finds a sanctuary that may provide the key to her self-actualization. Though the premise sounds like an after-school special crossed with an exploitative soap opera, director Daniels’s unsentimental approach to depicting the young protagonist’s plight proves to be one of the film’s greatest assets. As in “Monster’s Ball” (which Daniels produced), “Precious” does occasionally seem to have an overabundance of tragic subject matter that threatens to numb the viewer. Daniels also relies a little too heavily on fancy camerawork, frantic editing and incessant fantasy sequences that may provide a glimpse into the heroine’s psyche, but often interrupt the film’s dramatic rhythm.

Gabourey Sidibe stars in Lee Daniels’s Oscar-winning drama Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.
Photo credit: Lionsgate Home Entertainment

It’s the extraordinary acting that causes most of the film’s flaws to fall by the wayside. “Precious” is anchored by two powerhouse performances—-one is operatic and electrifying, the other is so quiet and measured that it’s practically invisible. Of course, most of the attention has been aimed at Mo’Nique, whose work here is nothing short of revelatory. She has a prolonged moment at the end of the picture that is every bit as much a tour-de-force as Viola Davis’s single-scene appearance in “Doubt.” But the true hero of the film is newcomer Sidibe, who seems incapable of hitting a false note. She never once forces emotions on camera, and lets her character’s feelings come through naturally. Her work is entirely authentic, much like that of the non-actors in a film like Soderbergh’s “Bubble,” and it keeps the film grounded throughout. What’s especially surprising is the strength of the film’s ensemble, consisting of people who would ordinarily stick out like sore thumbs (Paula Patton, Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz are all pitch-perfect in their respective roles).

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on March 9th, 2010. Photo credit: Lionsgate Home Entertainment

“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio), and includes several supplemental features with cast and crew interviews. Sapphire discusses how her experience as a teacher working with HIV positive students inspired her book. Though she initially turned Daniels down, she changed her mind after viewing his work, and was surprised by how the director consistently asked for her input during production. Sidibe reminisces about cutting class in order to make the “Precious” audition, which is also included on the disc. There’s also a brief deleted scene set during an “Incest Survivor Meeting,” where Precious opens up about memories that continue to be a source of pain and embarrassment (her emotional outburst may have been the reason why the scene was taken out, in order to save the tears for her pivotal scene with Patton). One particularly funny tidbit is Daniels’s story about how he caught Carey secretly attempting to apply make-up before cameras rolled.

The disc’s four featurettes also include a conversation between Sapphire and Daniels, as well as an interview with producers Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey (who says that the material reminded her of “The Color Purple,” with Precious resembling a Harlem version of Celie). Best of all is Daniels’s audio commentary, where he talks about his love of working with first-time actors, and how he’d give Sidibe a line of direction unknown to anyone else (such as when she smacks a girl in class, thus provoking a natural reaction). Daniels also talks about his odd compulsion to inject humor into scenes, even those where it doesn’t belong. He says that Precious’s apartment is an amalgamation of places where he lived, while Mo’Nique’s hairstyle for a key scene was modeled after “Norbit.”

By MATT FAGERHOLM Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com matt@hollywoodchicago.com