Filmmaker Greg Barker looks at the last 12 months of Barack Obama’s administration, treating viewers to remarkable portraits of three unique patriots just as they are slowly heading toward the exit, fixing what they can in America and the world before 2017. Barker’s access to meetings, private conversations, Obama’s inspirational talks with youth in Greece and Japan—even grabbing a few minutes here and there with the charismatic commander-in-chief himself—is often thrilling. Although Barker is sometimes in the vicinity of press secretary Josh Earnest and National Security Advisor Susan Rice (getting a couple of wary statements from the latter), he largely focuses on Deputy National Security Advisor and all-around aide-de-camp to Obama, Ben Rhodes; U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power; and Secretary of State John Kerry. Racing against the clock, the trio deal with a wide range of issues: negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program; the maddening tragedy of Syria and Russia’s disingenuousness regarding atrocities; Boko Haram’s reign of terror in Nigeria; and much more. Kerry talks about how his Vietnam experience in the late 1960s informed his worldview today about war and its victims. Meanwhile, Ireland-born Power expresses personal empathy with immigrants and asylum-seekers, and Rhodes (who can’t help but remind one of Rob Lowe’s loyal character on The West Wing) provides running commentary about everything. The film leads, of course, to Donald Trump’s unexpected win in November 2016, prompting fear among Obama’s team that number 44’s legacy will be undone by the next guy. And we all know what happened next. Extras include additional scenes and a photo gallery. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
The Final Year
(2018) 90 min. DVD: $26.98. Magnolia Home Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). SDH captioned. Volume 33, Issue 4
The Final Year
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