Last weekend I had the chance to see Michael, the highly anticipated bio-pic about the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, directed by Training Day director Antione Fuqua.
As someone who grew up listening to Michael Jackson’s music, while also knowing a lot about the controversy and mythos that surrounds him, this film was very anticipated.
And while it does succeed in providing a fun experience for anyone who is a fan of the music, it fails in exploring much more than that. Maybe it’s just me and what I look for in a movie and a bio-pic, but when you find yourself a subject like Michael Jackson, a man for who out of his 50 years on this earth, was in the spotlight for over 40 of them, it fails to really actually look at who Michael Jackson is.
Also this review will include “spoilers” because it is a story about one of the most famous people who ever lived – you should know most of this already.
Of course, beats like his abusive and hard upbringing are hit on, as well as his tragic accident during the pepsi commercial, but those moments are more used as tragic moments that Michael flipped into inspiration and strength rather than moments that did in fact later affect him.
That’s maybe the part I leave sour with the most. Michael Jackson is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing and interesting characters in all of pop culture and maybe history as a whole.
Just to list a few beats that aren’t hit on, you have Janet Jackson being completely removed, as well as many of the opinions and motives of the other 9 siblings in the Jackson Family. Joe Jackson, for better or worse, is portrayed as the villain of the film, but more as a money-grubbing gangster rather than an abusive, negligent father. And of course, the film only goes up until the Bad tour in 1988, meaning a lot of the deep issues with Jackson are saved until a possible second film.
With all that being said, there are still positives to take away. Colman Domingo is superb with what he’s given, nearly stealing every scene he’s in. Another bright spot is Juliano Valdi, who played the young Jackson in the film. Valdi’s voice and appearance are not only uncanny compared to Jackson himself, but also the movement and mannerisms are strikingly similar.
But ultimately, most of the plaudits should go to Jaffar Jackson, Michael’s nephew. Many will say this is one of the best biopic performances ever, and they’ll be right. So many times in the film, you forget you’re watching a movie, and it just feels like a live concert recording.
There haven’t been clear answers on when Jaffar used his real voice and when it was dubbed with Jackson himself, but there isn’t any noticeable difference throughout. And the movements are also like-for-like, making it impossible to tell it’s not him from afar.
The reality is that these performances were simply not enough. The material in writing is cliché and boring, and doesn’t try to tell a story, settling for a father/son conflict rather than a story about one of the most complex characters in the history of music and entertainment.
And while the events displayed in the film did in fact happen, the ending feels like a fairytale and moment of rejoice, with Michael breaking free from the chains of his father that had been on him since he was a kid, rather than actually trying to say anything about who Michael Jackson was or what he stood for.
The tone is so odd and irregular to what the story could or should have been that it also traps itself into a corner if Lionsgate does seek to make a second film. If a second film is made, it will undoubtedly have to cover the issues of Jackson’s legal trouble and health. These deep and important topics just cannot be told in the tone of an inspirational young man who’s trying to separate himself from the rest.
The topics are serious, like the man really was in the latter stages of his short life, and with the lightheartedness of the first film, the second one is already in jeopardy. Lionsgate has said the second film is in early development, and many scenes, including ones from later in Jackson’s life, were already filmed, leading many to suspect it shouldn’t be long before an official announcement.
But to put it simply, Michael does nothing to tell the story of who Michael Jackson was. While the actors try their hardest to bring the story to life, the poor writing and screenplay just aren’t enough to make Michael feel magic.
