The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMovie reviews

President

President | Movie review
14 January 2022
Oliver Johnston
Avatar
Oliver Johnston
14 January 2022

Movie and show review

Oliver Johnston

President

★★★★★

Release date

14th January 2022

Links

Website

According to the late Robert Mugabe, he was sacked from his job as the president of Zimbabwe, which is certainly one way of describing a coup d’état. Throughout his 30 years as president (preceded by seven years as prime minister), the words tyrant, dictator and despot were regularly used to describe Mugabe (along with numerous others that wouldn’t pass The Upcoming’s editorial standards), but President isn’t about him as such. It’s more about the aftermath – the country’s attempt to reclaim a legitimate democracy during what were touted as free, fair and credible elections. Mugabe himself is featured, however briefly, but this documentary, which has a distinctive fly on the wall quality, is more focused on those attempting to pull their country out of the long shadow cast by the despot’s decades in power.

If anyone was so inclined, it would be simple to play a drinking game based upon director Camilla Nielsson’s masterful documentary: just take a shot each time the word “credibility” is mentioned (to be serious – nobody should do this; there would be a real risk of liver failure). The word is flung around ad nauseam,, both as a claim and a hope. The ruling ZANU-PF party and its leader (Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s successor), along with the allegedly corrupt Zimbabwean Electoral Commission, all claim the 2018 election will have credibility. The opposition MDC Alliance, headed by the young and charismatic Nelson Chamisa, hope for credibility. To say who was ultimately victorious might spoil certain aspects of the documentary for those unfamiliar with the events, so it’s more appropriate to say that the results were disputed, to put it very mildly indeed. The footage of the post-election unrest is as horrifying and compelling as might be expected. 

Utilising the contentious setup and outcome of the election, Nielsson’s film has elements of a political thriller, with the added dimension of being exceedingly matter-of-fact and unembellished. Audiences feel the knife’s edge right along with the documentary’s subjects. The overall effect is an accomplished, informative piece of filmmaking.

★★★★★

Oliver Johnston

President is released in select UK cinemas on 14th January 2022 and on BBC 4 Storyville at 10pm 9th February 2022.

Watch the trailer for President here:

Related ItemsCamilla Nielssonfeaturedgovernment corruptionNelson Chamisareviewzimbabwe

More in Movie reviews

Where is Anne Frank?

★★★★★
Emma Kiely
Read More

Anaïs in Love

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

The Feast

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

My Old School

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Nope

★★★★★
Selina Sondermann
Read More

Eiffel

★★★★★
Diletta Lobuono
Read More

Fadia’s Tree

★★★★★
Marissa Khaos
Read More

Prey

★★★★★
Selina Sondermann
Read More

What Josiah Saw

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Oliver Johnston

President

★★★★★

Release date

14th January 2022

Links

Website

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Coldplay at Wembley Stadium: “A night that will be remembered by 80,000 people for years to come”
    Live music
  • My Old School
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Sprung
    ★★★★★
    other
  • Edinburgh Fringe 2022: Mr Moon at C Aquila
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Two Ukrainian Plays at Finborough Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Cruise at Apollo Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Camden Fringe 2022: The Man Who Wouldn’t Be Murdered at Lion & Unicorn Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • “It’s by going to the intimacy of our own perspective that we can hope to then speak to a more general audience”: Charline Bourgeouis-Tacquet on Anaïs in Love
    Cinema & Tv
  • Trending summer dresses everyone wants to own in a heatwave
    Fashion & Lifestyle
  • Edinburgh Fringe 2022: In PurSUEt at Underbelly, Cowgate
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Cruise at Apollo Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • “It’s by going to the intimacy of our own perspective that we can hope to then speak to a more general audience”: Charline Bourgeouis-Tacquet on Anaïs in Love
    Cinema & Tv
  • Coldplay at Wembley Stadium: “A night that will be remembered by 80,000 people for years to come”
    Live music
  • Where is Anne Frank?
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Anaïs in Love
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

The House | Movie review
Cicada | Movie review