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Southside With You is the film about the man who won the Nobel Peace Prize simply for walking into work on his first day – Barack Obama, played by Parker Sawyers. America’s second black President (after 24‘s David Palmer). This film chronicles the meeting between him and future First Lady Michelle (Tika Sumpter), set in Chicago’s South Side.
Unfortunately, this is so syrupy-sweet that the Tate & Lyle was dripping out of my phone as I watched the trailer, and almost as cloying, making me vomit. It’s full of godawful soundbites such as:
- Her: “Why did you come to Chicago?”
Him: “To make a difference!”
And, earlier, at home, her father asks: “What’s his name?”. She replies: “Barack Obama.”
Really?? You’d give a full name to a family member about the person you’re going to meet? It may as well shout his name in ten-foot letters of steel, and proclaim him as The Second Coming!
Anyhoo, how’s Guantanamo Bay’s closure coming on, eh, Obama?
Set in the summer of 1989, it looks like the only good thing about this fawning piece of sickly junk will be the music.
Those also getting caught up in this mess are Alex Zelenka, Phillip Edward Van Lear, Deborah Geffner, and Taylar Fondren, who calls himself TayLar. Mad, eh?
Written and directed by Richard Tanne, about the only good thing I can say in relation to this film is that the running time is a brief 81 minutes.
Southside With You is released in the US on August 26th, but as of yet there’s no UK date. For a film that basically makes him destined for Sainthood, I hope no-one’s planning the equivalent about Tony Blair or David Cameron!
Check out the trailer below and click on the above image for the full-size version.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.