This is the kind of movie that enrages or excites depending on partisan leanings, as evidenced by the helpful liberal who decided to interrupt by reminding everyone in the theater that it's "propaganda." However, I am neither a Democrat or a Republican, so I feel I have a fairly objective view of this movie.
First of all, it's absolutely fascinating. Obama came out of what seemed like nowhere with incredible charm, but most people don't know much about his life story. This movie describes the type of people and places he grew up in, and interviews experts who have an idea of what kind of thinking drives the 44th President. The subjects covered should be fairly familiar to anyone interested in politics, but the movie explores these a bit more in-depth than the talking heads on cable news, without being histrionic.
Dinesh D'Souza states that we carry elements of the past into the future, but it's also apparent that he carries unspoken assumptions into his work. If you share his assumptions, as I think many Americans do, then you'll probably find Obama's presidency more disturbing, because he doesn't fit neatly within the nationalist and individualist ideology that is typical of U.S. Presidents. D'Souza also appeals to the unconditional support for Israel and nuclear weapons. If you're outside of his assumptions, as I am, then it will be difficult to end up with his conclusions.
While I've never really trusted Obama and still don't, I came out of the film liking him a bit more, which was probably not the intended effect. In any case, it was interesting and I felt it was worth my time watching, just to get a clearer picture of the man in the White House.
2016: Obama's America
2012
Action / Documentary / Fantasy
2016: Obama's America
2012
Action / Documentary / Fantasy
Plot summary
The film examines the question, "If Obama wins a second term, where will we be in 2016?" Across the globe and in America, people in 2008 hungered for a leader who would unite and lift us from economic turmoil and war. True to Americas ideals, they invested their hope in a new kind of president, Barack Obama. What they didn't know is that Obama is a man with a past, and in powerful ways that past defines him--who he is, how he thinks, and where he intends to take America and the world.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
December 11, 2020 at 07:50 AM
Director
Movie Reviews
Fascinating movie about a mysterious President, somewhat biased
Exploitative filmmaking at it's fear mongering worst!
'2016: OBAMA'S America': Two Stars (Out of Five)
Following the example set by Michael Moore's 2004 documentary film 'FAHRENHEIT 9/11' conservative filmmakers Dinesh D'Souza and John Sullivan attempt to sway popular opinion and win some momentum back to Mitt Romney and the Republican party but as Moore's film failed to change that election I think D'Souza and Sullivan's equally sensational film will have no effect on this election. The film is based on D'Souza's book 'The Roots of Obama's Rage' and he and Sullivan co-wrote and co-directed it while D'Souza also narrates. It attempts to predict what the world will be like in 2016 if Obama is re-elected, under D'Souza's vision of what Obama's presidency is all about. The movie is exploitative filmmaking at it's fear mongering worst but it does have some decent visuals and production values.
The film opens with D'Souza telling of his experiences coming to America, from India, as a college student and editor for the conservative magazine Policy Review. D'Souza points out similarities between he and Barack Obama while telling of Obama's family history and growing up in Hawaii without a father. D'Souza attempts to draw the conclusion that much of Barack's political motivation has been influenced by a father (Barack Obama, Sr.) he never really knew and yet still idolized. He says that our President has been attempting to "reshape-America" according to his father's anti-colonialist views as well as the influences of other political figures he had growing up including Frank Marshall Davis, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Edward Said and Robert Unger. He labels Obama as an anti-American president due to supposed anti-colonialist views (which aren't anti-American to begin with).
The film is full of factual errors and lacks proof of any kind to support much of the hypothesis the filmmakers have come up with. Like a Michael Moore film it will 'preach to the choir' that's already been won over but have little to no effect on the undecided, moderates and certainly it's primary opposers. Unlike a Michael Moore film though it's also extremely slow paced and very dry. It's also very cheesy and scored with overly dramatic and somewhat sinister sounding music at times. The production values are decent, like I said though, and the cinematography is beautiful for the most part. As a film I think it does fail to do what it sets out to do (it won't have any effect on the election) and I of course don't agree with much of the information presented in it and think most filmgoers are too smart for a film like this these days as well. I think the internet and social media will have the greatest influence on this election due to the passion of US citizens just wanting to do the right thing and share the truth. That's why I think Obama will most definitely be re-elected and I'm glad most people are smart enough to see through lies and shitty films like this.
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From 1961: The History of Obama
I heard about this movie coming out some time ago, just before the US elections are happening, which is a perfect time for a presidential documentary. First I should say, I am not an American, I'm a Canadian, but I do have quite the interest in American politics. Also, like the vast majority of Canadians, I'm more of a Democrat. Sure, if there was a leader in the Republican field, that was far superior to the democrat candidate, then I would be fully behind the republican, but for the past few decades, I've been far more on the side of the Democrat candidates.
I found a lot of this film to be really interesting. The first half of the movie goes into who Barack Obama really is, a history of his life, and his father's life. There were so many tidbits of information that I never knew before, and it was really great to be able to find that information.
At the same time though, D'Souza, the maker of the documentary, has many scenes where he's talking about himself, and putting words into people's mouths. The direction of the title of the movie, showing what America will be like if Obama gets his second term, is hardly put forward, and when D'Souza does put forward his ideas, they really hardly make sense, and they're so extreme, that I doubt they will ever happen in the united states.
After seeing that movie, I just had to go back in time a few years, and watch Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9-11" and... oh my god... if anyone thinks, in any direction, that Obama isn't a good president, then look back just a few years and take a peak at what George Bush Jr. had done... it's freaking insane, and horrific. Looking at what has happened, I would say that Obama is the greatest president the US has had in a long, long time... perhaps going back to Ronald Reagan, perhaps even going back to Kennedy. I highly doubt that any republican would be able to beat out Obama for a second term in office, and one thing is for sure, this movie didn't make me doubt that, at all.
But one thing that D'Souza says about Obama is true. Many parts of his life up to when he got into office are quite a bit of a mystery to most people, so if you'd like to know more of the history of Obama, I highly recommend watching this movie.