BEFORE: aka "Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire", which could be the most pretentious movie title ever. I realize that the filmmakers wanted to separate this work from another film named "Push", but that was not the ideal way to do so. Linking from "The Pursuit of Happyness", Will Smith was also in "Hitch" with Paula Patton.
THE PLOT: In New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
AFTER: Here's where my rating system kind of fails, because I've based everything on how much I enjoy a film, and a film like this isn't meant to be enjoyed, because of the horrific events depicted within. But I felt disconnected from this one, and I'm not sure if it's because of the subject matter, or the overkill involved, or the fact that I have a cold. I'm pointing to the overkill first because it's just so MUCH that happens to Precious, the film just heaps more and more misery on the character, almost to the point of ridiculousness.
Precious is grossly overweight, a teen mom pregnant for the second time, the victim of physical and mental abuse, and illiterate. And that's just for starters - there's more, and the character is seen to retreat into fantasy to deal with her situation. As opposed to, say, cracking a book or using birth control. Hey, gotta start somewhere. The misery compounded until I started to question if anyone in the civilized world could be this far from OK - I don't mean to belittle the plight of inner-city youths, maybe I'm fooling myself to think of this as over-exaggeration, but that's the feeling I get.
Suffering is sort of a short-cut to cinematic attention, so I'm left wondering if this was made as Oscar bait of the highest order. "Shine", "My Left Foot", "Rain Man", "A Beautiful Mind", various films about the Holocaust - can the makers of all of these films sincerely tell me they were geniuinely moved by the subject matter, or were taking a quick road to a nomination?
Also starring Gabourey Sidibe (last seen in "Tower Heist"), Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz (last seen in "Zoolander").
RATING: 3 out of 10 welfare checks
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