Precious: Based On The Novel "Push" by Sapphire [Blu-Ray]

I saw Precious twice in theatres and when I sat down to watch it again from the comfort of my own couch, I felt almost like I had never seen it before; it was surreal. The film came with so much hype attached to it upon its theatrical release and is such a powerhouse of difficult yet necessary imagery that perhaps it was just too much to take in when I first saw it. With awards season now behind us, it is possible to watch Precious with a degree of expectation removed. What I saw this time was an insightful and inspired piece of filmmaking. I realize that only furthers the hype for the film, but inviting Precious into your home is a cathartic experience. One might think it difficult to identify with an obese 16-year-old African-American girl who is pregnant for the second time by her biological father and who struggles to learn to read while her mother drills how stupid she is into her at every opportunity. There is a universal appeal to Precious though and it was one for me that only showed itself when I could be alone with the movie at home. Yes, Precious (the title character played by the revelatory Gabourey Sidibe) is everything I just said, but she is also just a person who wants to be someone and wants to be heard, but doesn't know how to make that happen and doesn't believe it even could. Everyone can identify with that to some extent. Making Precious was clearly an equally valuable experience for all involved, as is evident in the bonus material on the Blu-Ray release. Not only does it look incredibly sharp, but a sensitive director commentary from Lee Daniels and a number of featurettes about how the film was made showcase how important Precious truly is.