‘A Scowling Void of Pure Nothingness’

The Independent reviews the new documentary on the First Lady, “Melania.”

“To call Melania vapid would do a disservice to the plumes of florid vape smoke that linger around British teenagers. She calls herself a ‘mother, wife, daughter, friend,’ yet is only depicted preening and scowling. Figures like Brigitte Macron and Queen Rania of Jordan appear to bolster Melania’s geopolitical credentials, yet time and again she returns to banal aphorisms…”

“Trump himself is an instantly more charismatic presence on screen. His scenes offer a relief from Melania’s mask of pure nothingness. Hitting cinemas as the streets of America remain filled with the angry and grieving – with the country on the verge of an irreparable schism – the vulgar, gilded lifestyle of the Trumps makes them look like Marie Antoinette skulking in her cake-filled chateau, or Hermann Göring’s staring up at his looted Monet.”