Becoming
In the new film, Obama maintains that she's never liked politics, but you can't help but wonder whether she's seen the end of the campaign trail.
The Netflix documentary Becoming, which follows Michelle Obama as she goes on a book tour, contains little to discourage those who hope she may someday be persuaded to run for elected office. Brimming with well-rehearsed anecdotes that are by turns humorous and inspiring, the film is carefully stage-managed to give audiences the sense that they've gotten a peek behind the curtain without in fact revealing anything new.
Whether she's addressing the crowd in a packed arena, talking direct to camera, chit-chatting with fans, or showing us around her childhood home, the former first lady comes across as charming and competent—exactly what you would expect from a documentary made by a production company owned by the Obamas, which, not incidentally, this film is.
After mentioning that her legal career was interrupted by motherhood, Obama is asked about picking things up post–White House. "It's not getting back on track," she answers. "It's creating my next track. I'm figuring out what do I want to do." She maintains that she's never liked politics, but you can't help but wonder whether she's seen the end of the campaign trail.
