Review: Madam President to the rescue

When calamity comes for world leaders, only Viola Davis can save us from terrorists.

Wilfred Okiche

Ahead of the Group of 20 gathering of world leaders in Johannesburg this November, Hollywood has decided to give us an action-packed “what if” spin on geopolitics.

Set in Cape Town, the Patricia Riggen-directed G20 is far removed from the realities of the present day.

Somehow, the United States has managed to elect a woman president – a capable war hero, no less. And in this fictional world, the US is still very much interested in leading the free world.

The formidable Viola Davis leads the cast of this fun – if ridiculous – spin on the boilerplate action films of the 90s. As President Danielle Sutton, she is a world-weary leader and family woman trying to sell her fellow world leaders on her plan to put a dent in world hunger.

Upon arrival in Cape Town she finds herself thrust into a chaotic situation, when a right-wing Australian crypto-terrorist (Anthony Starr) and his soldiers of fortune infiltrate the summit and take the assembled world leaders hostage. His grand idea is to make them record deepfake videos in order to destroy global stock markets.

Thankfully, Madam President has seen action in Iraq and in this wish-fulfilment fantasy, is uniquely positioned to take on her opposition and save the world. The writers make a half-hearted attempt to sell some old-fashioned jingoism, but this immediately feels so disconnected to today’s world, it barely registers.

As in 2022’s historical epic The Woman King, Oscar-winner Davis demonstrates her action chops alongside local actors, in this case Noxolo Dlamini (Silverton Siege) and Theo Bongani Ndyalvane (Prey). G20 is most effective when it stays on topic, making Davis take down a bunch of baddies.

That’s what the people want to see. The rest is background noise.