One of the taglines for this movie: You’re Confident. You’re Strong. You’re Beautiful. You’re The Greatest Of All Time. The cinematic portrayal of the legacy of one of the most influential musical artists the world has ever known. The film highlights both his life off-stage and some of his most iconic performances from his time with his family’s band to his early solo as he became the legend the world now knows.
Michael is a skillfully crafted highlight reel of one the most iconic pop music artists around the globe whose influence is still felt to this day. The direction by Antoine Fuqua is able to capture the electricity of Michael Jackson’s onstage performances as well as the tension behind the scenes within the Jackson family. John Logan’s screenplay does a solid job of hitting well known tropes for musical biopics while fitting a specific part of Michael Jackson’s life into that mold for maximum effect. Jaafar Jackson is able to embody the persona of his uncle in a way that transcends imitation as he is able to show the highs and lows of Michael Jackson’s progression as a performing artist. Colman Domingo gives a scary performance as Joe Jackson that is incredibly believable, and for some of us very relatable, as we see his bullying attitude and strong arm tactics parenting techniques that mirrored his managing of his family’s talents toward success. The music helps in the storytelling and being surrounded by it in the theater’s auditorium is like being at a concert and watching this with a receptive audience is an unforgettable experience. The music has depth that the more dramatic parts of the film are not always able to compare to, which makes the biopic element of this musical biopic feel superficial at times. I rate this movie a rating of 3 & 1/2 out of 5.
