Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

First, I have to say that this is possibly the worst title for a motion picture, ever. I understand why they couldn’t use Push, as there was a crappy Sci-Fi film of the same name, the same year. However, I don’t see why they couldn’t have gone with Precious, which is what everyone calls it, anyway. Second, I admit I was not looking forward to seeing it. Not because I expected it to be bad. I expected it to be emotionally harrowing, and I was right. It is a horror show, relenting a little only near the end, much more frightening than any phony “horror” movie cranked out by the big studios these days, and that’s because it is all too real. Not literally—this is a work of fiction—but there are people like Precious out there, almost beyond help, and also people like her mother and father. The mother, played by Mo’Nique (Oscar winner, Best Supporting Actress), is one of the most purely evil creatures I’ve ever seen in a movie. Ten minutes into the film I was rooting for Precious to throw the bitch down the stairs and watch her die. And she only gets worse. It’s hard to believe Mo’Nique is a comedian. And Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe is brilliant. She has to play Precious both as her almost silent, deeply repressed real self, and then to shine in the many fantasy sequences. I have to say, Sandra Bullock was the crowd-pleasing performance last year, and I loved her, but in years to come it will be this performance that is remembered.