The long awaited Michael Jackson biopic was here on April 24 and directed by Antoine Fuqua. “Michael” stars the King of Pop’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, as the man himself in his first feature film debut. The film covers Michael Jackson’s rise to the top, from humble beginnings in The Jackson 5 to his first solo concerts through vignettes of his life. The film’s plot structure prioritizes spectacle over substance, making the biopic feel more like a highlight reel rather than a true exploration of Michael Jackson’s career.
Instead of presenting itself as a traditional narrative, the film jumps between moments in Michael Jackson’s life in snapshots rather than a set arc. This approach keeps the audience engaged and the pacing steaming along, but at the cost of emotional depth.
At its best, the film hits all the right notes. Jaafar Jackson’s performance is uncanny, capturing not only the looks of his uncle but his physicality and vocals. During the first moonwalk sequence, the audience cheered so loudly that it felt like the actual audience was in the room. Even the filming of the “Beat It” music video felt as though you were transported into a live concert. While I was watching the film, I forgot I was watching a movie and felt like I was witnessing actual historical events.
The film also humanizes Michael Jackson, portraying him as an altruistic person, always willing to sign autographs and visit children’s hospitals. These more personal moments are placed between the eccentricities Michael Jackson was known for, such as the purchase of Bubbles the chimp and his other exotic pets. These scenes pass too quickly to leave any real impact, but they are an interesting insight into Michael Jackson’s personal life.
The supporting cast adds weight to the film, the standout of which is Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson, Michael Jackson’s abusive father. His portrayal of the patriarch of the Jackson family is so intimidating that the film doesn’t pull its punches when depicting the worst of Joseph Jackson’s abuse towards his children. His presence looms over the film’s early moments; even when Michael Jackson becomes the superstar, the shadow of his father never truly leaves.
Although an interesting dive into Michael Jackson’s life, the film is lacking when it comes to his artistry. Major milestones are acknowledged, such as his first solo tour, but not the recording process, especially in the case of the “Bad” album. For one of the most important artists of the 20th century, it feels like a disservice not to focus on the process and the dedication to the craft Michael Jackson had, just glossing over it.
One of the most noticeable omissions was its reluctance to immerse the audience in Michael Jackson’s creative process. For an artist so defined by their perfectionism, the film’s exclusion of his experimentation, the late-night studio sessions, is just incredibly jarring when the film presents only the results of the hard work yet none of the effort needed to do so.
The vignette structure is effective in depicting the broad strokes of Michael Jackson’s life, but it doesn’t focus on any moment to do any character work. This severely limits the film’s emotional core, especially when you realize the film is the first in a two-part story. At the end of the film, it feels as if sacrifices needed to be made in order to make the two-parter make sense, at the cost of a more compelling narrative. Another issue that arises is that the movie struggles to find consistency; it feels as though it can’t decide whether it wants to celebrate Michael Jackson or do a character study. It’s apparent that when the film’s heavier themes are never really followed up on, there’s little to no breathing room to let them be explored.
The film suffers from the fact that its apart of a planned two-part story; in an attempt to cover as much ground as possible, the narrative feels compressed. Key moments are being rushed in order to make room for future events, and the film feels like it’s all set up.
Another issue that arises is that the movie struggles to find consistency; it feels as though it can’t decide whether it wants to celebrate Michael Jackson or do a character study. It’s apparent that when the film’s heavier themes are never really followed up on, there’s little to no breathing room to let them be explored.
There are strong yet subtle comedic moments throughout the runtime, although they can feel out of place when juxtaposed with the film’s more serious tones. The vignettes, while maintaining a breezy pace, make the narrative feel a bit disjointed, making its emotional weight difficult to sustain.
Despite these shortcomings, the film succeeds in capturing the sheer scale and energy of Michael Jackson as a performer. Understanding the power of his image, music and ability to completely command an audience in a way never done before. Despite this success, the film stops short of offering a deeper understanding of the man behind the scenes, leaving its audience with a film that is dazzling but hardly shines.
As a biopic, it’s confident and entertaining but not entirely fulfilling. It captures the legend vividly but gives barely a glimpse into the man behind the legend.
4/5
