By Monique
So…apparently, there’s going to be a biopic about the love story of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama? I’m intrigued and concerned. If there’s any movie that needs to be done right, it’s this one.
Deadline is reporting that the film about the Obamas is called Southside With You, “a drama in the vein of Before Sunrise [that] chronicles the summer 1989 afternoon when the future President of the United States of America wooed his future First Lady on an epic first date across Chicago’s South Side.” Tika Sumpter has been tapped to play Michelle, while the actor for Barack is yet to be found. If I had to guess, I’d guess the future Barack will be an unknown actor.
First of all, can I tell you how much I HATE Before Sunrise? That whole trilogy? If there’s one trilogy of films you could torture me with, it’d be that Sunrise/Sunset trilogy. The amount of naturalism is to be commended on a technical level, but I don’t watch movies for what I could see watching people in the park. Movies are supposed to be a little fantastical, right? Also, the movie just gets too sappy and cerebral for my tastes. These are just my gripes, but I hope Southside With You will not be as much like Before Sunrise as its being billed.
With that said, I would gladly buy a ticket to see Southside With You, even though the title begs to be changed. It’s not everyday you get to see a movie about a future African-American (yes, I know he’s mixed) president, much less a movie about that future pres’ love life. I will say that there are some people that I like to keep in the realm of asexual beings even though I know they’re not–chief among them being my parents and President Obama. President Obama just screams “DAD” so much in his mannerisms and off-the-clock dress (those jeans, Pres? Seriously?) that I just can’t look at him as someone’s lover. Ugh–just that last sentence made me cringe. But I will put all of my elementary school dislikes on the side and watch this film with a grin on my face. Anything to help the state of black Hollywood.
What do you think about Southside With You? Who do you think could play Barack (Barry) Obama? Give your opinions in the comments section below!
Julian 