CINEMA AT HOME – Michelle Obama: a figure of hope reluctantly

The look of the tour of 34 cities on the occasion of the publication of the book Becoming by former first lady Michelle Obama lands on Netflix. The sweetened documentary, directed by Nadia Hallgren, focuses on her memoirs and anecdotes from the book, which is also the title of the film.

Unlike the Hillary documentary that aired earlier this year on the Hulu platform, Becoming does not ask the tough questions, nor does it present any new or shocking information about the first lady or her time in the White House. But it does offer a brilliant portrait of a woman who, leaving politics aside, was and is a world icon; The film offers a rare glimpse into how FLOTUS works and his daily routines while promoting his book, but this story was produced by the Obamas’ own production company, Higher Ground, with which they have a partnership with Netflix.

So let’s not dream of investigative journalism, that should be kept on the sidelines, but something tells me that the public already knew it. In addition, this association already has an Oscar for the winning documentary American Factory.

+ The core

The film features an adapted version of Michelle Obama and how she views herself, and even those calculated moves and behind-the-scenes observations offer a revealing insight into the pressure and scrutiny that prominent figures in the center of attention.

Most of the story is spent with Michelle Obama and her advisers, as well as Secret Service agents, and includes a rare, albeit brief, interview with her two daughters. Transitions “in progress” between concert footage (he often sold stages across the country), his conversations with minority focus groups and black teens in urban centers, with the occasional book signing.

Sometimes it looks like a lengthy promotional video, though there is an eloquence in the way MichelleObama speaks to her supporters, and if anything, Becoming certainly shows how and why she became a powerhouse in the election campaign, and ultimately one of the decisive factors in the election of Barack Obama.

During her husband’s term (2008-2016) Michelle Obama set out to interact and encourage the youth of the United States, and her dedication to that mission continues today to combat all the stereotypes she faced when she attended Princeton. and Harvard (tells us that his white roommate at university moved out of fear of living with a black woman). He even tells the details of his courtship with Barack, who at the time already had the ambition to fight economic inequality and was concerned about blacks in the United States.

+ Your own image

“As a first lady, I slowly saw myself being exposed to the world,” says Michelle Obama. “I had to be more strategic in the way I presented myself because I had the potential to define myself for the rest of my life.”

“Fashion, for a woman, still determines how people see it. And that’s not fair, it’s not correct, but it’s true. It is when fashion is not just fashion, it is how you make it your tool instead of being a victim of it. “

Michelle Obama and Jackie Kennedy feel similar in a way that goes beyond their ability to function as attractive hostesses and wives due to the rare times when these two women are exposed in public life, which is exactly what the Kennedy’s visit to the White House in 1962 (documentary Camelot).

Being a first lady is joining a brotherhood of sublimated emotions and being hyperconscious of the pressures and expectations of the role. That’s why the most memorable part of Becoming comes when Obama discusses the events leading up to and immediately after Trump’s inauguration in January 2017.

The Obamas They hosted one last slumber party for Sasha’s daughters and Malia’s friends, and the opening morning was filled with tearful goodbyes for White House staff, meanwhile, Obama was trying to stay calm.

“If I go out to cry they will swear that I am crying for another reason,” she explained to Oprah Winfrey, who interviewed her in Chicago.

“So I say: We have to do it together, so it was a very emotional day. Then we got on Air Force One and when we were on the plane I remember I sobbed for 30 minutes and I think it was the release of eight years of trying to do it all perfectly”.

“Becoming” it is what Obama offers to a loyal fan service, which is not necessarily a bad thing, no one expects the Obamas to give themselves a different version of this. But it’s more interesting in the rare moments when she talks frankly about personal issues and how they managed to defeat those little monsters, for example, when they both decided to go to marriage therapy.

Michelle Obama may have reluctantly assumed the role of figure of hope, but once there, like Jackie Kennedy, she was invested in her.

Becoming does not shy away from criticism Michelle received from her experts, particularly Fox News, who criticized her for any minor flaws, including her clothes, shoes, and handshakes; at that time, he decided not to feed those media and followed the guidelines established by his advisers, essentially following a script. But this document presents a totally different and transformed woman: frank and unafraid to share her own opinions.

The film takes time to introduce Obama’s core team, including Chief of Staff Melissa Winter and stylist Meredith Kopp.

In a short segment, we meet veteran bodyguard Allen Taylor, who explains what’s at stake at work and how you can’t afford to make the slightest mistake.

“Becoming” also boils down to scenes that follow the first generation of high school graduates and can sometimes seem like a filler, though the overall message doesn’t lose its inspiration.

And it is that message of hope and perseverance, on which the Obama campaign was built, that feeds the outer layers of this largely domesticated documentary.

The film suggests that he continues to grow as a human being, and that we should never stop looking in the mirror and wondering who we want to be regardless of our age, position, or inclinations.

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