“Melania,” the documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump, enjoyed a strong opening, ranking third in the weekend box office in North America, but received poor reviews from film critics.
Directed by Brett Ratner, “Melania” follows the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Supporters of the first couple propelled it to an estimated 7 million US dollars in box office revenue – an unusually high figure for a documentary, reports Xinhua news agency. The showing is projected to make “Melania” the best-performing documentary of its type in roughly a decade, which the first lady celebrated on X, with a boast: Loved By All – “A” CinemaScore. However, film critics gave its approval ratings of only 6 percent on Metacritic and 10 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning that no more than 10 out of 100 critics thought positively of the documentary.
It is Ratner’s first feature in 12 years, after returning to filmmaking following multiple sexual harassment allegations that he denied and which did not result in criminal charges.
The movie still faces a steep climb to commercial success. Amazon MGM Studios spent 40 million US dollars for distribution rights and 35 million US dollars on marketing, pushing The Hollywood Reporter, a major Hollywood industry magazine, to label it “the most expensive documentary” ever made. Amazon has rejected that narrative, saying it licensed the project simply because it believed audiences would respond.
Ticket sales have mirrored the nation’s familiar political divide, with strong turnout in conservative regions and far less enthusiasm in liberal urban centres.
Nearly 75 percent of the audience was white, followed by Hispanic viewers, who accounted for 11 percent of ticket buyers, according to Variety, a top Hollywood trade publication.