The documentary about Melania Trump is a long episode of "Cortesie per gli ospiti" "Melania" sparks controversy even before going to the movies

The documentary Melania, the one about the First Lady alongside President Donald Trump, has generated buzz more for everything surrounding it than for its actual content, about which there is, quite frankly, nothing much to say. After all, Melania Trump is also a producer on the project and stated in one of her many Fox News interviews that she agreed to make it on her own terms, meaning the cameras were likely shown only what she deemed appropriate. Not exactly what a documentary is supposed to do, but hardly surprising given that the film is directed by someone new to the genre.

The Melania Trump documentary starts off on the wrong foot with its director

Director of The Family Man and Red Dragon, Brett Ratner was accused in 2017 of sexual assault by six women, including actress Olivia Munn. Calling this choice controversial would be an understatement, and what troubles people more than his lack of experience in documentary filmmaking is the filmmaker’s personal history. So much so that, according to several insiders cited by Rolling Stone, many crew members reportedly asked to have their names removed from the end credits. Multiple issues allegedly arose on set, seemingly all linked to Ratner, while the First Lady herself was instead described as kind and pleasant. Let’s hope the professionals involved in Melania won’t be required to work with Brett Ratner again for his rumored return to Hollywood, which appears to be imminent. In November 2025, Variety reported that Donald Trump himself expressed a desire to bring the Rush Hour franchise back to the big screen, explicitly requesting Ratner to return as director for a fourth installment to be produced by Paramount Pictures.

The budget is way too high

Another unusual detail that has raised eyebrows is the budget behind Melania. $40 million were invested in producing the documentary, with an additional $35 million spent on promotion. A figure considered ten times higher than what is typically allocated to projects of this kind, with Amazon sparing no expense, prompting many to question the true nature of such an investment, especially when weighed against its cost-benefit ratio in market terms. A return well below the expectations of the First Lady and, above all, her husband, who in the days leading up to the theatrical release (around two thousand theaters across the United States and Canada) urged audiences to buy tickets, claiming the film would be a major hit.

And theaters remain empty

The empty theaters quickly disproved the former President’s predictions, with alleged Craigslist ads even circulating that promised viewers fifty dollars in exchange for attending a screening. Unless attendance numbers suddenly reverse course, Amazon’s investment will appear even more unjustified. That said, it’s worth considering where, and to whom, Melania is being marketed. While pre-sale numbers reportedly remained extremely low in New York, expectations were higher in Washington D.C., particularly in Georgetown, where the documentary premiered at the Trump Kennedy Center. The premiere itself sparked backlash, as it took place in the midst of the events surrounding the death of Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE. Many commentators argued that several high-profile guests should have declined the invitation in response to the tragic circumstances.

So what is the Melania Trump documentary actually about?

There is clearly a more complex ecosystem surrounding Melania than what its on-screen narrative conveys, or small screen, considering its release on Prime Video is scheduled for just a few weeks after its theatrical run. The documentary focuses on the twenty days leading up to Trump’s inauguration ceremony for his second term as President of the United States, and on his wife’s efforts to ensure that everything runs flawlessly. Essentially, a feature-length episode of Cortesie per gli ospiti, set inside the White House. Not that Melania Trump is alone in this endeavor: in 1962, Jackie Kennedy was the first to invite the public inside the President’s residence through a televised tour watched by roughly 80 million viewers, while in 2018, after her husband’s presidency, Michelle Obama released her autobiography Becoming, which quickly became a bestseller. Trump’s wife thus joins the lineage of First Ladies, although it’s unlikely that the others spent quite as much simply to show which wallpaper they preferred for their White House living room.