terrific. Yet another political documentary. Hot dog. Only a month after Christmas and here’s another stocking full of goodies. I suppose many folks think this genre was ruined by Michael Moore. They have a point. Moore pulls no punches and constantly frames things in a biased light. Problem with that theory is Moore is, Moore-or-less correct in his theses – we DO have a national problem with health care expense, we DO have serious issues with our national identity as gun owners, and Roger Smith really is a vile asshole. For me, the genre was ruined by Dinesh D’Souza, and if we’re being honest, Fox News. Once you get to the point where you can conclude America owes no apologies for slavery, you’re half a human being at best, and spouting such in a public forum –while perfectly legal in the United States– soils every discussion it touches.
So on to our movie. For a film about Barack Obama’s final year in office, this piece has precious little Barack Obama in it. Instead, for the most part, we access personal accounts from Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power, and Secretary of State John Kerry. John Kerry? Geez, if I wanted to see that guy, I would have voted for him. In fact, 2017 gave us documentaries featuring Democratic also-rans Kerry and Al Gore. Can’t wait for 2018; maybe we’ll explore the mysterious lives of other failed Democratic would-be Presidents like Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale, and George McClellan.
The Final Year focuses mainly on foreign policy and as such perhaps it will prove useful as a marker for the very last year the United States led the global community. [Congratulations, China, it seems to be yours now by default. Good luck, we’re all counting on you.] There are a few broken arms from self-patting about diplomatic accomplishments in Cuba, Hiroshima, and Vietnam. It was only while a young Chinese man asks (I paraphrase), “Barack, you’re a great man. How can I be a great man, too?” that one realizes this isn’t the most professional movie ever made.
It occurred to me while watching this that you can actually make a Trump puff piece, can’t you? Not just a “Rah Rah” one like any Trump rally, but a film that makes him look … Presidential. Forget the propaganda-like tough talk to nobody and fake photo ops. You edit Trump’s idiocy in Fox News fashion, where his narcissistic need for applause can be mistaken for leadership and you steer clear of any question that requires thought or a multiple sentence answer. Yeah, it will take superhuman amount of editing not to reveal his empty soul, so simply sprinkle the in-between with accounts from thoughtful interpretive supporters; on conservative news sites, that’s what happens anyway until y’all screw it up with trolls like Kellyanne Conway.
After the dull realization that the Obama movie lacks Obama, there is some good stuff. For one thing, I was moved by how much the administration realizes what it can’t do and how many problems are solved through international cooperation. It is also striking how the administration attacked real honest-to-goodness global problems: Boko Haram, Climate Change, Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Syrian refugees. Intelligent people can disagree with the strategies taken here. In fact, they frequently do. Intelligent people can disagree with the effectiveness of the strategies taken. In fact, they frequently do. But nobody can disagree with the fact that the Obama administration faced and attempted to solve real problems. This shouldn’t seem surprising for an 
administration. Yet, judging from Trump year one, the biggest national/global problems are: facts, Democrats, and freedom of the press. [While all of these may indeed be threats to Trump’s administration, NONE of them is a threat to the United States.]
History will likely view Barack Obama as the Jackie Robinson of politics. I don’t disagree with the assessment, yet I’ve no doubt millions will. But most of you motherfuckers voted for Trump, so your opinion is worth exactly squat right now. As the oh-my-God-yes, very racist Trump administration has made its #1 goal to erase the “shame?” “stigma?” of a black President, it sucks that so few among us can pause to judge the merits of what the Obama administration accomplished or, more-often-than-not, failed to accomplish in such a hostile political atmosphere. The Final Year is, thus, a documentary that won’t really satisfy anybody. Barack lovers won’t see enough to love. Barack haters won’t see enough to hate. This is mostly a movie about a year in the life of an international political good will tour and, as such, this puff piece has too much peace and not enough puff.
Racists opposed him in bloc
And counted seconds off the clock
At the end of the day
The masses all say,
“We’d be better off with Barack”
Not Rated, 89 Minutes
Director: Greg Barker
Writer: Father Time
Genre: The myth of objectivity
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Samantha Power fans
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: American conservatives
