The Brit Who Tried to Kill Trump (2017 TV Movie) User Reviews

A Sad Story

[onlythusfar · 8/10 · 24 February 2017]

This is a sad and scary story about a young man, not much more than a child really emotionally. Also, he was very frail physically, and though he was eighteen, seemed quite child-like.

Convinced by the news media, that Donald Trump was an evil racist, he became obsessed with the idea, that Trump had to be prevented from acquiring power. The young man lived in Britain and he had a history of mental illness. His mother had tried many times to get psychiatric help for him, but to no avail. He left home and lived on his own in the United States, where it seems,that his mental health deteriorated further, being away from his family's support.

Obviously, he did not succeed in his mission. As I am a Donald Trump supporter, I am thankful for this. The story concentrates on his family's sorrow, for his actions, and his incarceration in prison. They come to the U.S.A. to attend his court sentencing, only hoping to take him home, to get him treatment. I feel for them, but it is also very scary, that in a country, where guns are easily accessible, that a disturbed person may be able to unwittingly do something terrible. I was pleasantly surprised, by his treatment from the authorities.

This reminds me somewhat of the story of John Lennon's killer, who also came a long way to commit a horrible, delusional act, Unfortunately in that case he was able to complete his very sad mission.

Beyond the killing plot

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 8/10 · 6 March 2017]

In the turmoil and roaring of the crowd at many rallies during Donald Trump's insanely long campaign for the presidency there were two moments that could have altered the history course in a matter of seconds. The first one happened in March 2016 with a guy trying to jump on the stage where Trump was doing his usual campaign; and the second one was three months later and the main focus of this movie. 20-something year-old Michael Sandford, a young British who (his own words after getting arrested) tried to kill the presidential candidate. While the first act was all over the news, even to the point of viral videos and memes with reactions and parodies surfaced countless times, the second act was barely considered as news (at least in here, I don't recall anything similar being shown on TV or even giant internet headlines; even the documentary shows the media coverage of Sandford's trial as being a minor spectacle with five or six news outlets present at the court in Nevada). So, Trump got what he wanted, the kid didn't and what's left here is a powerful dramatic story involving a mentally unstable kid and his delusional act. And strange as it might sound, it's very easy to feel sorry for him - even if he succeed it with his intent.

BBC closely followed the story. From the video of his moments prior to the attack on a police officer (the kid was trying to get the gun from the officer) up until his detention. We follow Michael's divorced parents (Lynne and Paul) at the verge of his trial and the possibility of receiving a long sentence, and they talk about their loving son, his childhood and the countless mental health issues he faced while growing up (OCD, depression, anorexia, Asperger's syndrome and more). Somehow he convinced his parents that he wanted to live in New York, and stranger than fiction he succeed it, and next thing you know he disappears from the parents view, obsesses with Trump and his racist campaign/views and decides to take action and plot against him.

Surely, the film explains a little about the jump cut I made here but still when you watch, try to understand that you've just seen you'll still think there's some loose bits. What kind of parents knowing about their son's poor health conditions allow them to leave the country alone? Just one of those are you kidding moments I had while watching this. And I was amazed that the U.S. police force couldn't locate Michael - the parents contacted the police sometime earlier the event about Michael's disappearance after not getting contact with him - and somehow the kid was only found at the Trump rally. About the action per se it gets more troubling: First of all, because with all the evidence presented in that video that can't even be considered an attack. It'd be an attempt to an assassination attempt. How on earth a weakling boy would think he could unarm a trained policeman? Yes, Sandford planned many movements in advance (choosing the scenario, find the right spots) but fighting against someone more prepared than you just doesn't and didn't work. More shocking is during his arrest: it's not your usual "crazed lone killer" completely out of control, crying for his failure in reaching a horrible killing goal; instead we have a kid so cool and controlled that is strangely fascinating. We have the opportunity to hear him through phone conversations with his mom and in one video of the arrest arguing with a cop and with those sounds you truly get the notion of hearing someone who didn't knew exactly what he was doing, regretting his actions and completely lost.

The investigation mode of the documentary is fine, quite easy to follow and there's even room to show the efforts of Sandford's lawyer in getting the least damaging sentence possible, but what strikes as the most relevant and unavoidable act of the film is everything concerning about who was the kid and the numerous difficulties he had to deal during the prime years of his life. Almost like a shock to the senses, it's compelling, sad and worthy of pity; yet due to all those health issues, despite treatments he faced, the worst almost took place. Lack of proper attention, care or a higher commitment? Maybe. I saw the parents as people concerned but at the same time as people who in certain ways allowed too much freedom for someone who shouldn't have. Poor treatment or uncaring doctors? No way to know since no one has said a word in the film.

And that's what makes of this report a special one. It makes us question ourselves in several ways and to have a profound perspective about mental health issues, the most overlooked topic when it comes to health. I'm not saying the film main focus is exactly that (the kid's stunt is more important) but in understand Michael's situation previous to his acts in his younger days was that I was able to form a different view on people like him and even worst than him, those who actually succeed it in killing other people. With Michael Sandford's story we have a relative good outcome - he's currently facing one year in prison but think that much worse could go on, not just prison time but the lives he or the police officers would be depriving. Now, Trump in this whole case...is just a mere detail. The man didn't even noticed what was going on until someone told him...on the news days later. 8/10