Reel Talk: Michael

 

To approach this review from a neutral lens would seem daunting. After all, Michael Jackson is perhaps the most influential figure in my own creative development. Nevertheless, for the sake of critical integrity, I entered Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua of Training Day fame, with as much balance as I could stabilize. It was as though I carried a Libra scale in my pocket.

Michael is a dazzling and exhilarating homage to the King of Pop. Jaafar Jackson’s rendition of his uncle is, at moments, uncanny to the point of being somewhat disquieting. This isn’t mimicry. It is an embodiment of nuances, quirks, and intonations, in addition to personifying Michael’s unhealthy desire for perfection, his yearning for escapism, and his altruistic disposition, all without resorting to trite or superfluous devices. But it isn’t just Jaafar who is spellbinding. All of the principal actors nail their depictions, especially Colman Domingo as the well-intentioned yet menacing Joe Jackson, the family’s strict patriarch, seemingly responsible for the Jacksons’ success, as well as Juliano Krue Valdi, who perfectly captures the sensitive, inquisitive, and precocious nature of the younger version of the King of Pop.

Antoine Fuqua also does a great job of exploring the often overlooked impact that Michael Jackson had on Black culture in particular, as opposed to simply rendering him as a star to be beheld and accessible to all, though his depiction of that mass appeal is not sacrificed either.

If there is a critique to be made, it is that the first third of the film leans too heavily into highlight reel territory, blistering through events and not allowing the viewer to truly sink its teeth into the formative years of the band. Millennials and Gen Xers alike will easily fill in the gaps due to the made for TV miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, but those unfamiliar with that adaptation might find themselves missing some core foundational context regarding the Jacksons’ ascension. Once we settle into Mike’s adult years, we begin to get a more deliberate and intentional feel of this once in a lifetime figure.

There have been other critics who have lambasted Michael as a film that lionizes Jackson by sanitizing the more controversial aspects of his life that have marred his public persona over the years. Such virtue signaling seems more performative than an honest assessment of the film and serves to dissuade audiences from seeing it based upon unfounded accusations and personal gripes. In response to that, I shall quote Mr. Jackson himself. “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change.” CgN (A-)