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Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP's look at the latest Blu-ray discs and DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: George Clooney's head is in the clouds, Robin Williams puts his energy to poor use and... Eric gives up. Making light of Precious is difficult.

Pick of the Week

For people who wisely waited to watch Precious on DVD: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire

Watch any clip from Precious. Hell, simply be familiar with the film's log line and you'll come to understand that Precious is an intense movie. In addition to other issues, our heroine has been raped by her father multiple times and has several children to care for because of it. I'd argue it isn't one to see in theaters. Instead, Precious is better suited for home viewing, when people have the ability to stop, skip over or mute scenes with their TV remotes. Or, even better, to re-watch the minutes at the end of the movie that likely helped Mo'Nique secure her Best Supporting Actress Oscar on Sunday evening in Los Angeles. A bit more elaboration on that incredible scene at the social work office is explained here (third paragraph) in BOP's 2010 Calvin Award for Best Scene.

Having read the novel on which the film is based about a year or so before seeing the movie, I can say Precious is a largely faithful adaptation. The film would have even been called the same thing as Sapphire's book if another similarly titled movie hadn't been released in 2009. (You know, that Dakota Fanning movie. Wait, you've already forgotten about that one, haven't you?).





The film's strongest suit is its cast. Mo'Nique, who by now requires little, if any, introduction, is brilliant as Precious' monster of a mother, Mary Lee. Mariah Carey surprises as Precious' social worker. She's so "undone" – little to no makeup, drab hair, pale complexion – so as to be unrecognizable at first glance. And Gabourey Sidibe, who as Oprah explained during the Oscars skipped school to attend an audition for the titular character, shines in her debut role. I'm anxious to see what she appears in next. The same is true of Mo'Nique and Mariah.

Disc includes: Audio commentary, From Push to Precious featurette, A Precious Ensemble featurette, Oprah and Tyler: A Project of Passion featurette, A Conversation with Author Sapphire and Director Lee Daniels featurette, deleted scenes, Audition: Gabourey Sidibe featurette, Reflections on Precious featurette

For people who like watching George Clooney ride in airplanes (and hear him explain, with a very matter-of-fact ‘tude, why he is the world's most knowledgeable traveler): Up in the Air

I remember being not very fond of Jason Reitman's Up in the Air. It's mostly because of (*spoiler alert!*) what became of George Clooney and Vera Farmiga's relationship. (Or, I guess, what didn't). It was disheartening, cruel and made me wonder aloud, "Well, that was neat. Remind me why I paid money to watch a lead character undergo huge life changes, only to end in the same place he began?" (*end spoiler*) Don't get me wrong; mixing up the Hollywood formula is usually welcomed by me. But, I was left with such a distinctly awful taste in my mouth that it all but ruined my memory of the picture itself.

Like Precious, Up in the Air benefits greatly from his core cast of Clooney, Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, who has grown up nicely from the pair of Twilight movies you may know her from. Clooney, though, arguably puts up one of his best performances to date. It's a shame I didn't like it more.

Disc includes: Deleted scenes, audio commentary, music video

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