"Michael" Surprisingly Enjoyable, A Little Novel

 

    I was pleasantly surprised by this film? Honestly, I left it quite impressed with the film, while also recognizing that there's at least a little level of uneasiness that it gave me. Not in the sense that it was bad, but I knew quite well going in that this film was simply going to have almost all of the "rough" edges sanded off, and even calling what are quite serious allegations involving children rough does make me feel a little icky. Even still, this film was oddly entertaining, especially as someone who was only six when Jackson died, and so has very little recollection of who he was as a person, or any of these larger than life anecdotes that seemed too ridiculous to be true. Let's talk about it.

    This may sound like sacrilege, this may sound like an insult, but this is kind of a great film to watch with your phone out. I don't mean in the sense that I'm not paying attention while watching the film, but more in the sense of those "Director Cut" versions of movies you used to see on your TV as a kid watching all of these little fun fact bubbles pop up. I actually paid attention to this film, but it was also fascinating to search up all of these little things just to verify how true the film is. I mean there are little things like them fudging Off the Wall to sort of make the climax of Michael quitting the Jackson 5 make a bit more sense, since he technically had like four albums before that, and was also 20 when Off the Wall was released so his father simply had less control on him than it seemed in the movie. 

    But what I'm really talking about are the facts like Michael Jackson really had Blood's and Crips unite for the music video for Beat It? Maybe I'm simply too young, so this is why these facts are all so novel to me. Like the whole thing about all of the bizarre little pets he had? Pretty fun to find out that was true because I can't imagine why you would ever want a pet Monkey. Or the whole Pepsi incident, which I had never learned about as a kid. Even little things like checking in on all of the "named" figures in the movie, just to see if the film really embellished the relationships or they really were that close. I will admit, there is pretty good novelty in learning about what is in my mind the biggest music star of all time.

    Though, it's time to address the elephant in the room, and what made me hesitate to watch this film in the first place. It's weird, I think it mostly does the part with his father correct. Considering where they end this film (whether you agree with them ending it there or not), I think the right choice was made to make him an antagonist, and clearly his estate agreed. Like I had always heard that his childhood was hard as a child, but obviously I was too young for people to really be going in-depth about abuse with me. My only real point of note is that I would have thought they would have shown him beating more children than just Michael, and that they could have shown more of the kids, since they only show LaToya and the members of the Jackson 5.

    Like for the most part Joseph is not painted in a good light, he's shown as abusive, controlling and also manipulative, keeping Michael roped in long after than he should have realistically been. Like I didn't realize he was still part of the Jackson 5 when Thriller was released, or that they made the Jackson 5 perform solo MJ songs on tour. I imagine that must have been quite awkward for the other members, which frankly a part of me kind of wanted to see/witness the tension that must have existed between them. Like surely the rest of the brothers weren't just happy to be along for the ride, though I suppose they had too much control to paint themselves in a negative light, or clashing with the very clear protagonist of the film (it is named Michael after all).

    On the whole child thing, it's never brought up. It's actually quite odd really. While not explicitly stated, they draw a very clear line starting from the abuse Michael suffered at the hands of his father to his sort of stunted childhood/arrested development where he still identifies very much with the same things he did as a child as a form of escapism. Like he literally plays twister with his monkey, and points out Neverland as an adult with a sort of admiration for the place where kids never grow up. Like they're willing to draw the line between his father causing all of his insecurities with his face, leading to the plastic surgery like the nose job he got in real life. Which just makes their refusal to draw "that" line about his escapism and inappropriate relationship with children seem very odd. 

    It's like they basically refuse to draw the line between that sort of escapism, to the abuse he may or may not have caused. It's uncanny, because they refuse to darken the mood too much, and want this film to be about Michael's triumph and freedom so much that these clearly odd relationships with items geared towards children is painted as pretty normal. The only time he'll ever interact with children is when they're in the hospital. They show this sort of wonderment to paint Michael as some sort of special person, you know this ability to connect with children and keep his innocence despite it all. And all you can do is just kind of sit through those scenes while the very clear allegations are nagging in the back of your head, because supposedly they did actually occur during the time-frame of this movie.

Final Score: 65/100

    Even still, it's a pretty enjoyable film, at least the first time as it sort of lead me on a Michael Jackson rabbit hole. Visually, it looks pretty solid and I don't have too many complaints audio wise. Michael Jackson really does have an iron-clad discography so it's really hard to deny the song-power. I will say the movie does a pretty good job of making sure that you never get bored. Like timing-wise they know when to throw in some a longer performance of a song to really keep you entertained, and a part of you does start singing along in your head, because they are some damn good songs. Honestly? They chose a decent time-frame to center this movie on, though they basically played his basic hits, what is the sequel to this film supposed to focus on? Why did they announce he'll be back like a superhero movie?