Michael Movie Review : Thriller in Jaafar Jackson’s performance, filler in narrative

Story: The musical biopic follows Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson) from his formative years as the lead vocalist of the Jackson 5 to his solo career and rise as the King of Pop, as he breaks free from the iron grip of his father, Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo), to chart his own path.

Review: Making a biopic on the King of Pop that does justice to his talent, achievements, and celebrity is a gargantuan task. Add the layer of controversies and allegations, and one would expect a dynamite watch that keeps you hooked from the first frame to the last. Director Antoine Fuqua’s film, however, feels like an abridged biography that merely offers a chronological walkthrough of MJ’s life. The narrative begins when Michael is just 10 and already making waves as the lead vocalist of the Jackson 5 with his brothers, under the management of a controlling and abusive father. The rest of the movie takes the viewer through the milestones of his rise to fame, using his greatest hits as markers. This, however, is also where the film redeems itself.

The narrative feels plodding throughout except for the recreation of the massive chartbusters such as Beat It, Billie Jean, and Thriller, along with his live concerts, right from the Jackson 5 days to his farewell tour with his brothers. These are staged so immersively and exhilaratingly that it feels like watching the original material—which was often more short film than music video—or being part of the crowd at the concert.

Michael charts his journey from the Gary, Indiana, hood to the Encino mansion through the lens of his father’s exploitation and mistreatment. Besides that, it feels more reverential and sanitised rather than an honest retelling of his life. It establishes him as a sensitive soul right from the child lost in the world of Peter Pan and Neverland and who makes a differently-abled concert goer feel special. His love for animals (pet chimpanzee Bubbles, llama Louie, a giraffe, etc) and empathy for people and children are magnified while how the alleged addiction to pain medication began and insecurity about his looks are only glossed over.

One may argue that a biopic must not be a voyeuristic look at the personal life but be a celebration of the artist’s art. The film feels wanting in that aspect as well. It recreates the spectacle but superficially touches upon Michael’s innovativeness in music writing.

The film’s highlight is undoubtedly its lead and MJ’s nephew (his brother and band’s bassist Jermaine’s son), Jaafar Jackson. From the dance moves and the moonwalk to his gait, voice, smile, and expressions, everything is pitch-perfect. Equally impressive is Juliano Valdi, who plays a young Michael and gets the nuances right. Colman Domingo as the belt-brandishing, ruthless father deserves mention. Nia Long as his mother Katherine, KeiLyn Durrel Jones as his security and best friend, and Miles Teller his attorney John Branca, deliver solid turns, too.

Despite Jaafar Jackson’s stellar act and the film’s immersive musical recreations, Michael remains a sanitised and surface-level biopic that falls short of the complexity of the legend it portrays.