dinner and a movie: Precious & seafood specials

Week two of my Friday night dinner and a movie at the Spectrum was a blast.

The movie: The movie Precious is based on Sapphire's only novel to date, Push.  Here's what I knew going into the film: Precious is sixteen and pregnant with her second child.

Precious is certainly bleak, but it's empowering and uplifting in a real way rather than a feel-good based-on-a-true-story kind of way. As the sad, dark revelations about her life unfold, the movie shifts inside her imagination to brief shots of Precious in her dreams. I loved this storytelling device; when the story got dark, there was something hopeful. The audience shared with Precious's coping mechanisms.

I absolutely loved the film as whole, even though it's not necessarily a film I want to rewatch. Gabby Sidibe was fantastic. Mo 'Nique has gotten a lot of positive reviews, but I found her performance adequate, but not amazing. Paula Patton, however, absolutely stole the film for me. She was mesmerizing, subtle and powerful. I would love to see her nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Rating: 4.75 stars (out of 5 stars)
Running time: 110 minutes
Release date: November 6, 2009 (limited). Here's a map of where Precious is currently showing.

The dinner:My favorite restaurant in Albany, New World Bistro Bar, is conveniently located next door to the independent movie theater. My dinner was especially delicious Friday night.

I started with a special appetizer: bbq oysters bacon and escargot on a grilled baguette with pesto and a garlic butter. It was one of the most complex and flavorful appetizers I've ever had. I would love to see it in on the next menu.

For my entree, I had another special: Ric's Best Bouillabaise. It has shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, squid and baby octopus in a tomato-fennel broth with pinenuts and a poblano-basil pesto. It was delicious as well.

Next week I'll take pictures of my food to share!