Is Michael just a glittering reenactment of already very well documented events to bring his legacy to a new generation? With this much delayed and anticipated biopic, it’s easy to be sceptical.
The big fish in the film industry have come together in this not so small pond to ensure the highest possible quality production values for this project. Straight away it smashed the world record for highest box office takings on an opening weekend, something Jackson would have been proud of. Michael mania has once again gripped the globe. The film charts the genesis of Michael Jackson; his humble beginnings in the dying industrial town of Gary in Indiana, through his meteoric rise to global superstardom.
Taking on the role of imitating Michael Jackson, not just in song and dance, but in character is an intimidating task for anyone. He’s one of the most unique performers the world has ever seen. Young Michael is played by Juliano Valdi, who is superb. He captures Jackson’s shyness, awkwardness and vulnerability, but also his enthusiasm and charisma. He’s a captivating performer who does justice to the musical numbers of the Jackson 5 and the early phases of Jackson’s solo career.
Jaafar Jackson plays adult Michael, a physically demanding and impossibly daunting task. He steps up to the role and manages to embody his uncle completely. All his mannerisms, his voice and of course dance moves are as close as you could hope to get. The likeness in appearance is also uncanny, and he does a great of portraying the loneliness Jackson experienced. This an obvious labour of love for Jaafar.
Michael’s father Joseph Jackson is played convincingly by Colman Domingo. Joseph is a multi dimensional character, he’s both the villain and to some extent the father figure of the piece. We see him doing his best to navigate the family through the treacherous seas of the record business as he domineeringly coaches them all the way to the top and beyond. He made some disastrous moves along the way which have been politely omitted. The more violent side of Joseph’s character is touched on, and you’re left with the impression that this has very much been toned down for the film. A real life tormentor who was known to have kept his family in a perpetual state of fear is just somewhat unlikable here.
Jackson’s mother Katherine is played by Nia Long. She’s in a supportive role both in character and as a cast member, and it could be argued that her influence over Michael has been underplayed.
There’s a host of supporting roles that have been crammed in, perhaps with disproportionate screen time allocated to Jackson’s manager and executive producer of this film John Branca, but his personality is excellently portrayed by Miles Teller. Larenz Tate (Berry Gordy) and Kenrick Sampson (Quincy Jones) are also notably well played support.
It seems as though each line has gone through several steps of legal approval before being allowed into the script, and in doing so the dramatic elements are watered down to the point of almost non-existence. It plays like a montage that connects as many of the milestones in Jackson’s life that it can cram in as possible, at the expense of narrative and character development. This gives it the feel and pacing of a TV film, albeit a very good one, despite the high production values.
Where the film really shines are the performance scenes, which are absolutely dazzling. Right from the start you’re thrown into the pumping atmosphere of one of Jackson’s electrifying stadium concerts and it’s an immersive audio visual joy to see the original 35mm short films and live performances given a 4k HDR and Dolby Atmos treatment with modern filming techniques. Where Jackson in the source material always appears effortless, this film strives to show the hard work that went on behind the scenes to produce those masterpieces. Thankfully the movie uses enhanced versions of existing Michael Jackson recordings rather than cast re-recordings, and with that back catalogue on board how could it possibly fail? It’s guaranteed to get you dancing in your seat. See it in IMAX to make the most of the incredible audio and visuals.
There is an explicit attention to detail in every scene, particularly the recreations of the performances, costumes and sets. Even small details like the inclusion of the JBL 4310 monitor speakers and the Sure SM7 microphone in the recording studio Jackson made famous by using on Thriller (both recommendations from his long time recording and mixing engineer Bruce Swedien, who also gets a brief screen appearance).
There are plenty of omissions, notably of Diana Ross who mentored Jackson when the Jackson 5 joined Motown, and who undoubtedly had a big influence on his performance style. Janet and a few other siblings are also absent (I’m sure most of the adults watching could probably have done without the CGI Bubbles, but he serves as a great narrative device as an animal best friend). The film doesn’t cover the later part of Jackson’s life where the shadows of controversy really began to take hold. It’s about the artistry, to humanise the artist and to show what went into the art.
You have to manage your expectations for Michael. It’s produced by Jackson’s estate and it’s simply a feel-good movie to celebrate the life and times of the young Michael Jackson. The focus here is on the magic, rather than the madness that surrounded Jackson’s life.
Author: Dan, Kingston Store
