Michael review | 'It’s bad. It’s really, really bad'
★☆☆☆☆ | A carefully curated greatest hits reel, sidestepping controversy and complexity in favour of a sanitised portrait that rings hollow, writes Michael Morgan
‘Michael’, from director Antoine Fuqua, and its attempt to deify the ‘King of Pop’ makes for uncomfortable viewing.
Fuqua has, with the assistance of the Jackson estate, established a world in an almost parallel universe that attempts to tell the origin story of Jackson.
Here, he’s portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson as family-oriented, loving, kind and flawless.
In this universe, Michael doesn’t get angry, stressed or burnt out from the relentless bombardment of not just his father Joe, played with pantomime menace by Colman Domingo, but also the gruelling rehearsal and performance schedule he goes through.
The supporting cast also features Nia Long, Juliano Valdi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, Mike Myers and Miles Teller.
It’s a snapshot of a point in time, early 1960s to the late 1980s, that allows several sneaky narratives to be painted. There are so many.
Glaring and presented without subtlety is the omission of Janet Jackson, arguably his most famous sibling and a sister who had a profound effect on his life.
It is understood, based on La Toya Jackson’s account, that Janet was invited to be included in the film but “kindly” declined.
Michael’s need to lighten his skin and whiten his features is danced around as deftly as when he is seen moonwalking on stage.
However, by far the most jarring element is the muted telling of his relationship with children and how problematic that became for him.
Instead, we see an almost comical, scene-by-scene addition of a menagerie of animals that take residence at the Jackson household, with whom he bonds.
All the hits are played mercilessly, leaving you feeling a little shell-shocked, almost as though you are racing through a patchwork quilt of his works with a smattering of behind-the-scenes moments.
A reimagining of curated, often palatable, moments of what the family would like you to see.
What they really want you to see, you get in abundance. The villain of the piece, Joe Jackson, is only half believable, though.
For such a pivotal figure, the performance harked back to a pastiche of the role played by Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner in the biopic of Tina Turner’s life, ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’.
The movie starts as it finishes, leaving more questions than it answers. You get no closeness to the man, the myth, the legend. It’s incredibly disappointing that the film exacerbates this. He remains aloof throughout.
A shame, as this was an opportunity to humanise and come clean about Jackson’s shortcomings as a human being.
Let’s be real, a warts-and-all biopic would never have made for palatable viewing, as it wouldn’t generate the box office success this version of his life will no doubt bring.
It’s also important to point out that Jackson’s family had producer credits for what is essentially a puff piece of controlled narrative.
If I wanted a baggy canter through Michael Jackson’s greatest hits, my music library has extensive tracks for me to choose from.
Since the time I could speak, I’ve been a fan of his music and this is what makes watching a movie so vacuous, as it gives you no additional insight into such a legendary figure. It’s so frustrating.
This film isn’t aimed at those who want to get an inner circle perspective of Jackson. It’s aimed at those who are content to barely scratch the surface of a clearly complex individual and wallow in the nostalgia of bygone years in which he flourished. It’s a medicated, blissful ignorance pacifier; a cinematic blue pill.
It’s fitting that the climax of this whistle-stop tour of hits with no substance ends with ‘Bad’, to rework a phrase that sums up my overall viewing experience of this turgid gothic monstrosity.
This is a film which seeks to actively gaslight and make you misremember aspects of a flawed genius.
It is not a good movie and has no redeemable features. It’s bad; it’s really, really bad.
Michael is out on general release from today (April 24).
Michael Morgan is a pen-for-hire who has previously written for The Voice, Hip Hop Connection, TOUCH magazine, iNews and the Metro. Passionate about the needs of young adults and those living with mental health conditions, he spent several years working as a mentor alongside people excluded from mainstream education. A habitual line-stepper, lover of Hip Hop and film, Michael has previously been a regular film pundit on BBC Radio Essex. He has also presented, produced and directed ‘The Frontrow’, his own programme, which aired on BEN TV.
