Movie Review: Best Picture Nominee Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire (7 of 10)

Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire was released in theatres on November 20th, and is coming to DVD on March 9th. You can read our full reviews here, below are excerpts of our reviews.

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Precious Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of 4)

The amazing performances and powerful storyline, keep the film grounded in it’s harsh reality. It’s hard to watch, but it’s also sometimes hard to look away. It's at times quite disturbing, but it's also not devoid of all hope, and that's what keeps us watching.

Though I’m not sure if it’s because of the film’s limited budget, or just a stylistic choice, the shifting camera angles, constant close-ups, and shaky cam served as a bit of a distraction.

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Precious Review By Erin V.

***3/4 (out of 4)

The movie Precious: Based on the Book Push by Sapphire, is a powerful movie indeed. What it isn't though, is this years Slumdog Millionaire - at least for me.

Overall, this is a very good movie. The importance of literacy as a path to freedom, as shown in this film, ring very true in the real world. While parts of it are hard to watch, it is worth seeing.

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Precious Review By Nicole

***3/4 (out of 4)

Precious is a powerful film. While often hard to watch, I couldn't pull myself away form this film. The acting in this film is extremely believable. Newcomer Gabourey Sidebe is amazing as Precious. The other actors are just as good. Precious is a movie that, while telling such a dark tale, offers hope to all those who survive poverty and abuse.

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Precious Review By Maureen

***1/2 (out of 4)

Precious is a powerful film that is very difficult to watch, but even more difficult to ignore.

If you can get past the emotionally difficult subject matter, then this is a must see film. There is excellent acting throughout and a really powerful story in Precious.

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Precious Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

With brilliant performances directed by Lee Daniels in a relentless documentary style, it is a disturbing portrayal of life at its worst, from which there can still come some hope. Most will find it appropriately disturbing, if not put off by the rough language.

Precious came out at about the same time as The Blind Side. With its feel good success story, the latter film has already suffered in comparison, unjustly in my opinion, since it is much more accessible and based on a true story, while watching Precious, a fictional composite of the worst cases the author encountered in her work with inner city youth, felt like an obligation–much harder to take, like medicine. Both films in their own ways are highly recommended.

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Consensus: Precious is a very well acted, if difficult to watch and mildly overrated, drama. Though it was at one point the front runner, Precious simply did not gain enough momentum. It is unlikely that it will actually win Best Picture. ***1/2 (Out of 4)