Southside with You

When I saw the trailer a few mouths back I knew I had to see it. It was just about a random women preparing to go out with a college from work, then you discover she's Michelle Robinson and her colleague is Barack Obama.

It was the best first date every caught on picture.

I like the fact that I feel I did not learn anything new about the President of the United States. Southside with You has taken the man I've seen for the past 8 years and put that personality on celluloid accurately to what I already know. There was no surprise coming as Barack explain to Michelle his anger towards his father, his upbringing before college, and where he wants his life to go. Brilliantly played by Parker Sawyers, Barry O is easy to parody, but Sawyers was able to really capture the man without doing that.

What I also liked about the movie is what it told me about Michelle Robinson, a strong black woman also trying to find her way in life. Not satisfied with where her life is going and knowing she wants more out of it. Tika Sumpter did a good job show casing a career orientated woman focus on being more than just the black woman at her law firm and feeling a relationship with Obama would change that. Making her stand offish at first to his natural charm.

It's funny. It's a tale as old as time: boy likes girl, girl's not having it, boy tricks girl into date, girl keeps saying it's not a date, and boy has to put on the charm in order to win girl's heart. However, the two people they chose to tell this tale on bring a flavor to it that's uncanny.

Very quiet, but well structured. Not nearly as impactful as the two people it's about, but real good portrait of a iconic love affair.

http://cinemagardens.com

It's time to go to the punside with me, because there will be some corny puns in my review of The Obamas "first date" flick "Southside With You"; even though I have a feeling you might find them so corny that they will be in the grounds of pun impeachment. Anyways, "Southside With You" is a splendid, dialogue-orientated film that focuses on Barrack and Michelle's first date on a hot, summer Chicago day in 1989. Writer-Director Richard Tanne nicely handles the movie on the verbal interaction within our main protagonists, and foreshadows the communicative talents of who would be the future President and First Lady. Sure, you can call "Southside With You", "Before Sunrise: The Obama Moon" but there is nothing wrong with that; even though "Before Sunrise" is a much better movie. Parker Sawyers gives a presidential first-rate performance as the young Barack, and Tika Sumpter will make you think "She is Michelle" from the start in her turn as the future Mrs. Obama. So I think the popular vote will side with "Southside With You" if you give it a chance. **** Good

Richard Tanne's 'Southside with You' is a pleasant surprise. A Small Little Gem, that's both charming & engrossing. And if you even thought watching the former U.S President & His Wife/Former First Lady going on their first date as a rather uninteresting concept for a film ...think again!

'Southside with You' Synopsis: The film chronicles the summer 1989 afternoon when the future President of the United States, Barack Obama, wooed his future First Lady, Michelle Obama, on a first date across Chicago's South Side.

'Southside with You' is a delightful tale of 2 people who went on to create history. You watch & observe them. Its all heart. 'Southside with You' is a love-story, but it also covers themes of racism & how America was back in the late 1980's. Although done subtly, the message is out loud and clear. Obama's Voice for equality & patience, is shown in great strength & it also shows us a leader who later came into power, because he knew the drill.

Tanne's Screenplay is excellent. The Writing is of Superior Quality. Not for a minute, does the Writing take a dip, its consistently crisp. Tanne's Direction, too, is superb. He's handled the film with precision. Cinematography is perfect. Editing is neat, culminating the film within a sharp 84-minutes. Art & Costume Design are perfectly done.

Performance-Wise: Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter as a young Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson, respectively, bring in their A-Game. Parker is a revelation, channeling Obama with grit & tenderness. Tika is a live-wire, She portrays Michelle, with unmistakably honesty. Both the actors, deserve more work in the movies. They've got the stuff.

On the whole, 'Southside with You' is Magnificent. Don't dare to miss it.

And yes, I do miss the America when Obama was President!

If you did not enjoy this film...well...you're probably a Republican. Seriously, though, a movie that manages to turn ubiquitous public figures into protagonists (and complex protagonists, no less)? That is something. It was more than impersonation or caricature...it was a love story. And there was something hopeful about encountering these two before everything changed. It was not without flaws, but it brought a smile to my face.

There wasn't much to this film, so I'll be brief. "Southside with You" wasn't really what I expected it to be. It wasn't bad and it wasn't good. It was just a simple love story with powerful messages running through it, which is a good thing. I thought there would be more to this film like a lot of romantic drama and a more complex story involving the two main characters which could have built up into the present relationship they have now. I think the writer / director created this film more as a tool to spread valuable lessons rather than making it for entertainment. In that sense, it reminded me of the film "The Nativity Story", a film about the events of Mary and Joseph that led up to the birth of Christ, which was a film I thought, was made primarily to convey a message rather than entertain. The acting from Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter was good. Parker Sawyers actually reminded me of Barak Obama with his performance and the Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" scene was fitting. In my opinion this isn't the kind of film you should expect a lot out of, but what can be taken out of the lessons it presents is a good thing.