The Way I See It Movie Review

NOTE: “The Way I See It”  will be in limited release on September 18, 2020 by Focus Features, followed by broadcast on MSNBC on October 16, 2020 (at 10 PM Eastern Time).

“The Way I See It” is a documentary about a person who was able to keep the focus on a President. As in, he was the main photographer of the White House. Plus he did that photographic wizardry not for just a single President. He was in the White House during the 1980’s and then was invited back for another round. He had a unique position in that he repeated his time in there as the Official Photographer.

Pete Souza was trained in photojournalism and was a very good photographer. He got his first stint in the White House during the term of Ronald Reagan. Pete would sometimes differ with the White House policies, but he never waivered at the best shot of Ron and Nancy. His photographs included many from in the White House and some from the Reagan Ranch in California. He was with the whole crew when they went to other countries for summits and meetings abroad. Pete gained a reputation of getting many candid shots of the President and the White House staff in good times and in bad.

After that position, Pete moved on to other journalistic work. He worked many places, and was one of the few people to get pictures from inside Afghanistan after 9/11. He would up working for the Chicago Tribune, and was stationed as the Washington D.C. reporter. He got to know many of the political insiders. Many of them still remember his days in the White House, and they knew his quality of work. But what caught his attention was a brand new US Senator just elected from Illinois. That new politician’s name was Barrack Obama.

Because Pete was with the Tribune, Obama knew that a quality reporter and photographer had been assigned to follow him around. Pete followed and gained the trust of the Obama family. He was again able to get many candid shot of the Senator and his family. But Obama would remain just a Senator for only so long. In 2008, Obama was elected President. And pretty soon, Pete Souza was headed for a return trip to the White House to again be the main Presidential photographer. That had not happened to anyone else before.

Pete Souza then spent eight years with the White House staff and First Family. He always got the best shots of the President, in all his good times and in the troubled times. He was a behind-the-scenes guy, never calling any attention to himself. Pete always keeps his own personal politics to himself. But he regarded the Obama Administration as a meaningful and an historic event. He was really glad that he could be the first one to be official photographer — for a second time. Many events and milestones came during the Obama Years. Pete Souza was there to capture every one. As they say — “Today’s news is the first draft of official History”.

When Pete’s (second) time at the White House was over, there was now a new White House resident, and a different President. While some people thought the world of Donald Trump, quite a few other ones wanted a world without Donald Trump. Pete Souza was slightly disturbed at some of the new Presidential actions, as will as Trump’s general demeanor and personality. But Pete did not have anyway to express his dismay.

That was, until he began posting his collection of old Obama White House photos on his Instagram account. He would post a picture, and then add some pithy comment that related the past to the present. Pete Souza had found a perfect ‘passive aggressive’ answer to call out the New Guy in Charge. He gained fame and pretty soon — they made a documentary about him…

“The Way I See It” is a fine documentary in that it tells a story of someone who has had an unusual past. Being a part of the White House, and then being invited back again some decades later does not happen to just anyone. However, it was his series of Instagram posting that brought Pete Souza out of his self-imposed political lockbox. Of course, Left and Right can disagree in very strong terms — a little too often with shouting and yelling. But the way Pete does it is quite low-key and with subtle humor.

“The Way I See It” is about prior White House photographer Pete Souza, who knows how to raise an issue without raising his voice.

NOTE: “The Way I See It”  will be in limited release on September 18, 2020 by Focus Features, followed by broadcast on MSNBC on October 16, 2020 (at 10 PM Eastern Time).