REVIEW: Right-Wing Attack Doc 2016: Obama's America Stumbles, Obsesses Over The Wrong Issues
With the out-of-nowhere success of 2016: Obama’s America, the nation could finally have a conservative counterpart to Michael Moore. I say the nation rather than the Republicans, because a balanced box office is good for us all, at least as a reminder of our right to oppose the current government and make a profit in doing so. Similar to Moore’s release of Fahrenheit 9/11 during the summer of 2004, author-turned-filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza offers a one-sided, first-person documentary that challenges the incumbent President during his campaign for re-election. Unlike his liberal predecessor, however, D’Souza, who co-directs with writer/producer John Sullivan (Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed), doesn’t have much to fall back on in the way of entertainment value and so only delivers a transient attraction for the anti-Obama crowd.
You could say that a film like 2016 shouldn’t be entertaining, and maybe it is true that the left’s overdependence on jokesters and satire have hurt their efforts in the past. But while Fahrenheit 9/11 might not have influenced enough voters eight years ago, it remains a popular work of cinema in its own right primarily because of Moore’s appeal to a certain audience both personally and stylistically. D’Souza is neither engaging as a character nor as a storyteller, but even worse here is his lack of intensity. As a pressing piece of propaganda, the film could use a louder voice and edgier tone. To truly be an effective Moore equivalent, frankly, D’Souza could stand to be more of a nuisance.
Basing the documentary on his best-selling books The Roots of Obama’s Rage and Obama’s America: Unmaking the American Dream, D’Souza, retains a very subjective angle for his exploration of the President’s true identity and political motives. In fact, before really even addressing the titular subject, the filmmaker takes the first portion of the film to set up his own biographical relevance, which aside from his being born outside the U.S. (oh, hush) corresponds quite uncannily as a way of comparing his own background to Barack Obama’s and then raising the question of how they ended up on such contrary idealistic paths.
Through interpretation of passages from Obama’s book Dreams From My Father and an interview with a psychologist, D’Souza comes up with a thesis involving the President’s daddy issues. Paralleling the last administration’s critics, 2016 at times comes off like a slightly deeper kin to Oliver Stone’s W. without the fun of caricaturistic portrayals. More complex than Bush’s supposed need to make his still-living father proud, the deal with Obama is that he’s apparently impaired by a romanticized adoration of his never-there father as well as a desire to honor the elder Obama’s anti-colonial principles.
On that track to expose the President’s ultimate goal of turning America into a flaccid, non-imperialistic country that is run with outdated collectivist policies, D’Souza’s intended ace in the hole is an appearance from Obama’s half-brother George, whose tiny abode in Kenya D’Souza refers to as “something out of Slumdog Millionaire.” The filmmaker fails to get the young man to talk negatively of his powerful brother’s neglect of poor family members abroad, even with literal attempts to “rephrase the question.” Finally, he settles on simply revealing George’s belief that the third world was better off under colonial rule.
So what? Other than potentially inspiring an interesting and metaphorical novel about two brothers with divergent relationships to an unknown father in a long-post-colonial world, the disconnect between geographically and temporally distant siblings doesn’t provide much substance for the film’s argument that the President is the worst leader in U.S. history. And really neither does Obama’s presumed paternal problem, which borders on an obsession for D’Souza. Still, it’s a reflection of a certain concern Americans have with the singularity of the executive branch and our compulsion to focus on the individual character of our Presidents over the plans and actions of their overall administrations.
Eventually, 2016 does get into real criticisms with Obama’s initial election, which is basically credited to white guilt and the allure for people to be a part of history, and with his first term, which, it's claimed, shows hints of a larger anti-colonialist agenda. A shot at the relevancy of NASA seems especially misdirected given the excitement of the Curiosity rover landing on Mars earlier this month, however. And further speculation of the President’s full-on dismantling of the U.S. as a superpower once he’s over the hump of re-election is again too hypothetical. Meanwhile, given the concentration of the Romney/Ryan campaign, it’s unfortunate that only a couple minutes near the end of the film are devoted to Obama’s handling of the national deficit.
Of course, this isn’t a documentary in support of Mitt Romney or any Republican candidate so much as it’s an extensive attack ad against Barack Obama. It should illuminate just how much of a repeat this election year is of 2004. Then, it wasn’t about voting for Kerry; it was about voting against Bush. Now it’s just politically reversed, not about voting for Romney but against Obama. And if Romney does win, someone, whether Michael Moore or another liberal filmmaker, will give us the next documentary in the cycle of opposition.
If there is one major thing I’ll give 2016 credit for, it’s that much of the film plays almost as well to a pro-Obama audience as to those against him. It preaches to both choirs in that a lot of the intentions and policies of the President, which D’Souza sees as negative, are those which the leader’s fans see as positive. Much of the left would surely love it if Obama truly transformed the United States into a nuke-free nation with socialized medicine and education. Some might watch this documentary and think, “well, yes, that’s our Obama.”
Of course, there is the occasional blast of clear vitriol, such as when the President is baselessly said to be less concerned with helping the poor than stripping the wealth of the rich. But that’s to be expected with these films, which are less concerned with what kind of President is good for America than what kind of President is not. And I’m sure it’s expected of me to be less focused on what would have made this a good film than what makes it a bad one. I can only say it’s not a very memorable one, and regardless of the outcome this November, after Election Day I guess it doesn’t need to be.
Christopher Campbell is an Atlanta-based movie blogger specializing in documentary. Follow him on Twitter @thefilmcynic.
Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Subscribe to the new Movieline on YouTube
Comments
This could have been projected on TV. It is the worse movie that I have ever seen. It looks like an advertisement for the republican party. I don't advise anyone to go see it.
I've been reading a lot of comments on this movie. Looks like you are in the minority, Jocelyn.
He's in THIS minority. But the majority of Americans will feel the same way as Jacelyn does. Look at the receipts for the film. Not a lot of people are seeing it, and the people who are seeing are mostly already in the choir.
Would you like another glass of Kool-aide? WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!
I'm a Democrat and i never heard of any of the stuff my Conservative friend and to push me to se it.. Trust me Jocelyn go see it. You will be shocked. it doesn't Bash Obama it's just interviewing people associated with Obama giving a insight on who his mentors are and his parents and so on
stay ignorance and zombified.don't go see it if you do not want to know the truth. i know many likes to follow blindly. but honestly, no one wants to be lied to and deceived. as they say, "know the truth and the truth will set you free"
I loved this movie and think it made accurate points about Obama. There has not been another president with so many questions left unasked or unmasked behind him. Anti colonists have been a major part of his upbringing and the subject makes for a good reason for all his actions.
Hey Christopher Campbell,
You worked very hard on your review and your message is quite clear: Obama and liberals good---conservatives bad.
Now it is snacktime and then recess!
I just want to say that I identify as a conservative and thought Mr. Campbell did a very good job with this review. He tried his best to approach it as a critic—I thought he was very fair. Thanks for taking the time to try to write a balanced essay.
I think both Obama and Romney are rotten choices for President, but I think the film maker made valid points about who Obama is related to the people he chooses to be with, the ideals of his father and mother and the people they chose for him to be with. He doesn't seem like an American in his thinking, and I have spent a lot of time living abroad and analyzing the way Americans think and the ways people in other countries think. The author of this movie didn't get over dramatic, he just presented facts and in that I respect his opinion that Obama's background of anti-colonialism and socialism/communism have a deep impact on his world view and his decisions as president.
It is a balanced movie. No doubt about it. D'Souza reads directly from Obama's book "Dreams From My Father". How can anyone, left or right argue with Obama's own written words? The question is this: What do the majority Americans envision for this country? The movie will answer that for those who were still on the fence. Come Nov. 6th, 2012, we'll have the answer. I do believe we will be back on track to be once again...one of the greatest nations.
I find it quite odd that the author of this review and most movie critics call this "Right Wing Propaganda and Lies," but the truth is that most of the movie is direct from Obama's book (Dreams from my father) and a lot of it is his own voice. Am I misunderstanding that they are calling Obama a liar?
It's all they know. Objectivity is not one of their strong points.
There had to be some logical explanation for the insane changes being forced on our nation. After watching this movie, it's making sense.
No can be a Michael Moore equivalent unless they’re willing to propagate as many lies as he has in all of his now discredited films.
Very good documentary. He reaches a little with the NASA thing and the "United States of Islam". Michael Moore doesn't reach, he just plainly makes things up.
The fillial piety game can be played two ways. D'Souza's parents were Goans, which is to say Roman Catholic residents of a former Portuguese colony that was forcibly occupied by India in 1961 or so. Indian Roman Catholics in the old Raj identified strongly with British rule and held themselves a cut above the other "natives." D'Souza, like Niall Ferguson and John Derbyshire, is one of those neo-sahib conservatives who sincerely believe that the world was a better place when the British Empire was firmly in charge of assorted lesser breeds and would like to see the United States step up to that role. He's certainly correct that Obama doesn't share his opinions, but neither do millions of other Americans, left and right, who have shown a remarkable lack of enthusiasm for paying for the costs of empire since September 11.
As a stylist, he's not competing with Moore at all. Michael Moore seethes with rage, and he expresses it as a put on artist and provocateur in the manner of Sacha Baron Cohen. D'Souza is just earnest.
Well said Jack!
THE MOVIE 2016 IS A MOVIE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD SEE AND THEN MAKE UP THEIR OWN MIND BASED ON THE EVENT OF THE PRESENT TIME. IT WOULD SEEM THAT WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AND SHOULD REALLY DO SO.
I make $82h while I'm traveling the world. Last week I worked by my laptop in Rome, Monti Carlo and finally Paris…This week I'm back in the USA. All I do are easy tasks from this one cool site. check it out, http://bit.ly/Q11FkR
My question is how true are the movies "facts"? I am a conservative but not a tea partier. I'm really tired of both sides bending their facts to the point of not knowing who to trust.
Well said, Supinger. While the movie certainly quotes a lot from Obama directly, the unsupported claims are the clincher - and you need to look at who is saying them. There is a lot of unsupported crap in this movie wrapped around out of context direct quotes from Obama. Michael Moore could easily skewer Romney in the same way - and probably be a lot more entertaining about it!
Overall, it's sad how much elections are about tearing down the other guy. Make up your mind on the policies that each candidate puts forth. There is a pretty clear distinction between the two. Don't make up your mind based upon the loose crap in this movie - or the wild conspiracy theories of the left about Romney. Fact is, both men are good men, family men, smart men who are capable of leading the country. They have very different perspectives.
Wasn't America founded by anti-colonialist? If Obama is indeed anti-colonial, then wouldn't he be the most American president in recent history?
some of you people are nuts!!!!! Your basing your opinion on a fiction movie. This man has never met the President and how do we even know that the people his talking to even knows him. You people scare me worst then the stories about this movie because you are believing this garbage. I hope the President sue this POS for defamation of character and slander. This man is obviously mentally ill!!!! I will not waste my hard earned money on this garbage
I wanted to see this movie but was afraid my money would go to the Republican party. Glad I read these reviews first. Now I can take my kids to "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" without feeling as though I've missed out on something ground breaking. Thanks for your input peeps!
FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!
Nick,
Hey, make sure you stop by the social services office so your kids can sign up for food stamps and welfare. If you get 4 more years of this joker that will be their only future!
Impressive documentary...
I thought some of the "things that may happen" were a little far-fetched but the way D'Souza pieced together President Obama's own words was interesting and made a lot of sense. As brilliant as our president is he is still only a man and men whether subconscious or not are influenced by mentors/parents/family when they are young. I was amazed to see how vehemently different the ideals of young Obama's "mentors" were from the those of our founding fathers. He's human so it must have had an impact on him. Good film for anyone to see even Obama supporters as you get a good glimpse into our president's childhood if anything.
Who cares. Romney's going to lose anyway. Obama is a hell of a lot better than the alternative.
I have yet to see the movie but fully intend to do so.From what I have seen thus far on the internet, I have many questions as to the items Obama refuses to open, the lack of identifying his family publicly, his college records and how he registered as a student, his work in the private sector (if any) and where is his record of voting during an extremely short period in politics.
I will push Mr. Romney to open all his tax and birth records as well as his college records if someone will push President Obama to open his as well. As I understand it, there has never been any documents produced to confirm his years in college. Doesn't it appear a little strange that our President doesn't speak of any of his relatives except his immediate family?
Gayle -
Read Obama's books. He speaks of family and college and everything excessively. The same crap could be spun of Romney. It takes very little research to realize that what Obama hasn't released is generally not released by any President. The fact is, Obama paid off his extensive college loans and made his money via the sales of his highly successful books. There is tons of information about his time at Occidental, Columbia and Harvard.
When you see the movie - remember who it is coming from. It is a highly biased and selective perspective. Sure, Obama is a liberal and has associated with liberals in the past. Just as Romney is a conservative and has associated with conservatives in the past. Reality is both are good men. They have very different policies. Make your decision on that - not on crap spewed by the likes of this movie.
Right, Gayle. It's all a big lie that he went to Harvard. He's been hiding it from every investigator and journalist for four years as president and well before that. He's also hidden the fact that he wasn't born in the U.S.....throughout his whole political career....from everyone. You can join us back on planet Earth now.
I thought the film did an excellent job of approaching some of the reasons why Obama hates America and is doing everthing he can to destroy our country. His proven attitude makes sense after you watch the movie, he is even more frightening.
That critique seemed so based on personal political views, sad.
To djfoejs:
You're the reason why "normal people" don't like the GOP.
Next »