Melania Trump's highly anticipated documentary has opened to underwhelming reception, with critics labeling it as "not a gripping film." The 20-day behind-the-scenes look at the former US First Lady has failed to captivate audiences, sparking disappointment among producers who shelled out $75 million for its production and marketing.
A sparse crowd turned up at one of New York's busiest theaters on Friday, with only around 12 people watching the documentary, including several journalists. The film's meager turnout mirrored across the country, with theater executives downplaying predictions for a strong opening weekend.
The movie's makers had hoped to provide insight into the private life of a highly public figure, but viewers seemed largely disinterested in seeing Melania Trump's daily routine. A young viewer, Chase, described his experience as "interesting" and said he was drawn in by curiosity about the former First Lady's private life. However, this sentiment was not echoed by many others.
One Democrat who attended the screening expressed mild disappointment with the film, stating that it lacked conflict or rising action. Despite being surprised by how little he disliked the movie, Jim Behrle did not think it was worth recommending to friends and family, calling it "not a gripping film."
While some viewers found certain aspects of the documentary interesting, including footage of Melania Trump trying on clothes and playing croquet at Mar-a-Lago, others were less enthused. The overall consensus is that money alone cannot make a compelling documentary, even with significant investment from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The poor reception has left producers facing an uncertain future for their $75 million investment, which will likely result in significant financial losses. As one executive noted, being in the president's good graces may be priceless, but it appears not to translate to box office success for this particular documentary.
A sparse crowd turned up at one of New York's busiest theaters on Friday, with only around 12 people watching the documentary, including several journalists. The film's meager turnout mirrored across the country, with theater executives downplaying predictions for a strong opening weekend.
The movie's makers had hoped to provide insight into the private life of a highly public figure, but viewers seemed largely disinterested in seeing Melania Trump's daily routine. A young viewer, Chase, described his experience as "interesting" and said he was drawn in by curiosity about the former First Lady's private life. However, this sentiment was not echoed by many others.
One Democrat who attended the screening expressed mild disappointment with the film, stating that it lacked conflict or rising action. Despite being surprised by how little he disliked the movie, Jim Behrle did not think it was worth recommending to friends and family, calling it "not a gripping film."
While some viewers found certain aspects of the documentary interesting, including footage of Melania Trump trying on clothes and playing croquet at Mar-a-Lago, others were less enthused. The overall consensus is that money alone cannot make a compelling documentary, even with significant investment from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The poor reception has left producers facing an uncertain future for their $75 million investment, which will likely result in significant financial losses. As one executive noted, being in the president's good graces may be priceless, but it appears not to translate to box office success for this particular documentary.
. I mean, $75 million is a pretty hefty investment, and you'd think there'd be some buzz around it before release. But I guess people just aren't that interested in Melania's daily routine 
. It's like, yeah, she's a First Lady and all, but are we really going to shell out cash for a doc about what she eats for breakfast? 
I get why the filmmakers wanted to give insight into her private life, but maybe they should've made it more... juicy? 
Anyway, it's definitely not the blockbuster everyone was hoping for 
. Guess you can't buy compelling storytelling with that kind of cash 
.
. This just feels like a vanity project that failed to deliver on its promise. The fact that Amazon poured so much cash into it and still can't guarantee a decent return is just wild 
. Not exactly the kind of docu I'd recommend to my friends...
maybe the filmmakers just didn't quite nail what they were goin' for? anyway, hope the folks behind this project can bounce back from this 
. Even a young dude like Chase thought it was only okay because he was curious about Melania's private life - not exactly thrilling stuff 
. Guess you can take the girl outta the White House, but you can't make her into a box office superstar 
.
Do you think there's something specific that went wrong with the marketing or production that made people not want to watch it? 
.
. But hey, I guess you can't force someone to watch a documentary about a former First Lady's daily routine... unless she's got some scandalous skeletons in her closet, that is 
.