'Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire'

""Push" has no bounds. It's a disturbing, overwhelming story of one Harlem girl's merciless degradations. An overwhelming, masterful dramatic competition entrant, this Lee Daniels film may have no bounds in the awards categories here at Sundance. It would not be surprising to see "Push" pull in both the Audience Award and Jury Award."

So say the Hollywood Reporter

I get the feeling I am ramming this down my few loyal readers throats. You all know that this is probably my numero uno most anticipated film of 2009.
When Nathaniel over at The Film Experience first mentioned this film last year I was immediately struck by the synopsis. So much so I looked up the book and the story of the lead actress.
Over the year I constantly checked up for any news and was always met with 'nothing'. My good friend Andra, after seeing me mention the film on here, told me I have to read the book, it is a modern day 'Color Purple'.
Well that sold me.

I still haven't read the book (it is on order through amazon.co.uk, but only second hand which sucks ass as it is taking forever), but that doesn't mean I am going to stop posting on this film.
The reviews from Sundance are stellar. Not only is the film getting standing ovations and raves, but lead actress (newcomer Gabourey Sidibe) and supporting actress (Mo'Nique - yes her!) are garnering serious awards buzz.

Do not believe me?

Check these out:

First here are the raves for Sibide:

".....played with astonishing rawness by newcomer Gabourey Sidibe.....Sidibe's performance as Precious is fantastic -- fully realized, perfectly authentic, and without a hint of contrivance. It's the sort of debut that will either be followed by a stellar career, or that she'll never be able to live up to...." Eric D. Snider - Cinematical

"As Precious, Sidibe is superb, allowing us to see the inner warmth and beauty of a young woman who, to her world's cruel eyes, might seem monstrous. " Duane Byrge - Hollywood Reporter

"A huge amount of the credit must go to newbie Gabourey Sidibe, who plays Precious. Her performance is so thorough, so all-encompassing, so natural, that a fantasy sequence where she's not talking like a mumbly ghetto girl is actually shocking. There's one scene at the end where a teary-eyed Precious gets a little too poetic and speechtastic for the character, but Sidibe makes it work. She sells every moment of pain and self-doubt and self-loathing with bottomless sincerity and truth. It's a stunning debut." Davin Fraci - chud.com

"Front and centre is newcomer Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe whose brave performance as the teenager Precious Jones is one of the most electrifying debuts in years." Mike Goodridge - Screendaily

"The director, Lee Daniels, shows us the awful circumstances that have caused Precious to be the way she is (she is pregnant -- for the second time -- by her drug-addict father), and the actress Gabourey Sidibe plays her without a flicker of sentimentality, but with barely visible tremors of emotion that cue us to everything this arrested girl is holding back. ......... it's a potent and moving experience, because by the end you feel you've witnessed nothing less than the birth of a soul" Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

And for Mo'Nique:

"...there are eye-opening turns by Mo'Nique, who helps us understand Precious' mother's frame of mind without making her sympathetic;" Eric D. Snider - Cinematical

"As Precious' hideous mother, Mo'Nique is cruelty incarnate. It's an astonishingly powerful performance. " Duane Byrge - Hollywood Reporter

" 'Push' is a horror movie, of course, and Mary is a monster, whose one glimmer of humanity -- which Mo’Nique, who is utterly brilliant, reveals in a tour de force soliloquy at the finale -- only makes her more horrible." John Anderson - Variety

"What I really appreciated about Mo'Nique's performance was not only how rotten she was willing to go but how she maintained that even during a big emotional scene where we get to understand why she is the way she is. Mo'Nique lays the character bare for us but never begs for us to feel bad for her or to change our opinion of her. The actress - and the film - knows that understanding isn't the same as accepting. Were Mo'Nique (and Sidibe) to be nominated for Oscars in 2010 I wouldn't imagine raising a stink. I wouldn't imagine raising anything but a glass in their direction for two performances that shatter with their honesty." Davin Fraci - chud.com

"Comedienne Mo'Nique is sensational as the mother and her work in the confrontation scene at the film's finale is awards-worthy" - Mike Goodridge - Screendaily

Even Todd McCarthy has high praise for the two actresses.

The sad news is the film still has not found distribution. I do not think I can even imagine a studio brave enough to take this film on as it is going to be a tough sell.
I am sure it will be bought and distributed, and most importantly seen.
I would not be surprised in HBO tackled this for TV as getting people into theaters to see a film about a black, obese, illiterate teenager pregnant with her second child because of her fathers repeated rapes will be a tough sell admist the superhero films and rom coms.
I have been so happy with the coverage Entertainment Weekly has given the film, they are always there to shout out about the smaller things they believe in and kudos to them. They did a wonderful write up here on the women of the film.
Scott Foundas of 'OC Weekly' (?) did not love the film, even saying it was sloppy in places, but also has this to say:

"Not one for subtlety, Daniels puts black female lives destroyed by abuse and defeatism on the screen with a brute-force intensity and lack of sentimentality (The Color Purple this certainly isn’t). He also gathers a collection of startlingly effective performances from such unlikely players as Mo’Nique (whose monster mom is anything but a one-note villain), Mariah Carey (deglamorized as an empathetic social worker) and the magnanimous Sidibe, who carries this exhausting and strangely exhilarating film on her mighty shoulders. Push is far from perfect, but there isn’t much I’ve seen at Sundance this year that I wouldn’t trade for the sight of a hard-won smile finally making its way across Precious Jones’ stoic, beautiful, wounded face."

That is enough for me. The image and sentiment brings a tear to my eye.
I know a lot of you dear reader, like me, love stories with powerful performances from women. This film is said to be just that, except the packages the women come in are not your usual 'red carpet ready' size zeros which may make this film harder to be seem. I will see it, and I hope you all go and see it too when it comes your way.

I promise to remain silent for a while on this (until I find more news/film clips/trailers.