Movie Review - Becoming

Director: Nadia Hallgren
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Sasha Obama, Malia Obama

Description: Join former first lady Michelle Obama in an intimate documentary looking at her life, hopes and connection with others during her 2019 book tour for “Becoming”.

Review: Michelle Obama’s memoires, “Becoming”, had been released in 2018. The former first lady went on a book tour, visiting various cities in the US. This all was filmed by documentary maker Nadia Hallgren. The documenatary “Becoming” is the result.
We see how Michelle Obama signs her book and meets her fans. She talks about the moment she had to leave the White House, where she admitted it was an emotional moment, but she didn’t show it to the public. Because people might think she cried for a different reason. Everything she did while being the first lady, was enhanced and discussed to the detail. Michelle was relieved that she didn’t have to be perfect all the time.
She doesn’t want people to feel sorry for her, or pity her, by saying this. Michelle tells us this to give us insight in her life as a first lady. She had a lot to endure when she became a public figure, who was pictured as a mean and angry black woman by the press. And when we see archive footage, you can see that she became very cautious of this. And now, four years since Barack Obama and herself left the White House, she is more relaxed.
It's clear that Michelle Obama is a funny woman, a woman with personality, strength, kindhearted and not afraid of a little self-mockery.
I really enjoyed taking an inside look at her life, but there is never any depth. The book gives you more of that. And I expected, before I read the synopsis of the documentary, that it was more of a story of her earlier life to where and who she is now, like the title “Becoming” says. But it’s Michelle on her book tour, taking about “Becoming”.
Director Hallgren managed to capture the goodness of Michelle Obama, why she is such an inspiring woman. The title is a bit misleading, but it’s an okay documentary.

Rating: 3 / 5