Melania Trump took to X on Saturday morning to flaunt the early achievements of her new documentary, “Melania,” which opened on Friday.
The First Lady posted that “Melania” is projecting the best opening in 10 years for a documentary (excluding concert films) and received an “A” score from movie pollster “CinemaScore.” Variety confirmed both accolades.
While audiences were keen on “Melania,” critics were not. The film has a brutal 6% critic score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience score is at a glowing 99%. Top markets for the film include Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston and Atlanta.
Variety’s film critic, Owen Gleiberman, was among the dissatisfied critics. In his review, he wrote that “Melania” feels like “a piece of state-sanctioned propaganda out of 1960s Communist China, that it never even wades into those controversial waters.”
“By the time ‘Melania’ arrives at the Inaugural festivities, the film has given itself over to a series of rituals (the candlelight dinner, the Inaugural itself, the luncheon, the Starlight Ball), which feels weirdly fitting since the filmmaking itself is so ritualized,” he added. “It never lets the air of experience in. And that should tell you something. ‘Melania,’ like the Trump regime, is a designed-from-the-top-down reality show that’s devoted to shutting reality out.”
Directed by Brett Ratner, “Melania” follows the First Lady in the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. The doc earned $2.9 million on its opening day and is expected to gross $8.1 million by Sunday. That figure represents a significant uptick from initial estimates of $3 million to $5 million. Amazon MGM spent $40 million to acquire the film.
“Melania” is Ratner’s first major directorial effort since sexual assault allegations in 2017 completely derailed his career. He will soon direct “Rush Hour 4” for Paramount, reportedly at the White House’s request.
