Photo via IMDb
By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
This is not a biographical film; this is a Wikipedia page brought to life and set to great music. “Michael” is a music biopic that caters to a specific subset of the pop king’s fandom, the ones who adore the fantasy of Michael Jackson. For everyone else, this story is a watered down, scrubbed clean, and heavily filtered redaction that offers nothing of value outside of the source material.
The story chronicles the highlights of Michael Jackson’s life from his humble beginnings in 1966 as a child (Juliano Valdi) in Gary, Indiana to his meteoric rise to fame as an adult (Jaafar Jackson). In between chronicling his career milestones, his familial relationships are depicted, especially with his nurturing mother Katherine (Nia Long) and his controlling father Joseph (Colman Domingo), whom he deeply fears. The film abruptly concludes in 1988 at the height of Michael’s fame as the King of Pop and conveniently before allegations of sexual abuse come to light.
This film is an obvious attempt by the Jackson family estate to cash in once more on the iconic pop star, who passed away in 2009. With them having full control over the content of the film, it’s no wonder why this turns out to be a puff piece. Antoine Fuqua is credited as the director, but he may as well have been a marionette, fashioning the film as one big concert video, taking viewers on a tour of some of Jackson’s greatest hits. It was 25 years ago that he helmed the award winning “Training Day,” and he has toiled in mediocrity ever since, churning out one decent to subpar film after another. Here he focuses on the themes he’s allowed to focus on, Michael as the musical savant, Michael as the humanitarian, Michael as the lover of all animals, and Michael as the victim of abuse. He might as well have equipped the actor with a halo and wings to complete the angelic image.
This is a film that shouldn’t have been greenlit for multiple reasons. A Michael Jackson biopic that focuses on him and all of his siblings except for his sister Janet is a farce, and pretending she never even existed is even worse. There’s a reason she had a falling out with the family and refused to partake in the making of this movie, citing numerous criticisms of the film and its inaccuracies. Even Michael’s daughter Paris refused to be at the premiere after her many disagreements with the script that she criticized as containing “full-blown lies,” which were never addressed. Making matters worse is the fact that Fuqua had to reshoot the entire ending of the film due to legally being unable to address the elephant in the room of sexual allegations. This delayed production for a full year.
As for the music, that is the singular area Fuqua excels at filming. Alternating between modern digital and 16mm footage, depending on the era being depicted, he strives for a sensory experience during the concert scenes. Coupled with Michael’s nostalgic hits, the effect of witnessing these moments in an IMAX or Dolby Cinema will have viewers grooving in their seats. The visual replication of the venues he performed at is meticulous, presenting a completely immersive event for the audience.
Despite the many failings of the film, there are two outstanding performances that should be recognized. Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s nephew and Jermaine’s son, in the titular role is perfect. Even though he has no acting experience whatsoever, Jaafar not only achieves Michael’s look, but also his sound and movements, which is no easy feat. He spent over two years intensively rehearsing his uncle’s iconic moves and studying archival footage to capture his voice authentically. The result is an impressive portrayal of a legend nobody thought possible. Too bad it is wasted.
The other standout performance comes from veteran actor and two-time Oscar nominee Colman Domingo. His depiction of the overbearing father, obsessed with using Michael to further the family’s success, instills an intimidation, allowing viewers to understand the fear Michael felt growing up under his rule. From his glowering stare to his cutting line delivery, Domingo proves to be an uncompromising force in this role.
Sadly, it’s time to ring “The Game of Thrones” shame bell on this sugarcoated, aggrandizing biopic of the King of Pop. “Michael” is nothing more than a fan service cash grab, and if you simply want to bask in the angelic glow of his portrayal and enjoy his playlist of greatest hits, then you will likely love the movie. For all others, it’s best to simply moonwalk in the opposite direction away from this smooth criminal.
This movie earns:
