I went to see Michael along with my family and tons of other people in the theater. It was fast moving biopic of legendary popstar Michael Jackson. It moves along fast and true. It used cinematography, wardrobe, color and his late music very well. Michael Jackson is played by his own nephew Jafar Jackson. His nephew mimics his famous uncle very well in terms of voice and dance. Dance, music, and production really pop out in the film. All these attributes are what surrounded the late popstar anyway. Iconic outfits like his red leather jacket in the “Thriller” music video and the “Beat It” music video are shown. They create behind the scenes stories of how these recognizable productions came to be. Michael’s inspiration and reason for performing is shown and highlighted. His no-time-for play childhood is also shown and connects to his young adult years. This later explains his branching off into a solo career from his brothers as part of the Jackson 5.
The cinematography is solid but highlights special moments of the story well. This is done using low motion when Michael first comes on stage as a solo artist away from his brother. Close ups are used for example when he first takes off his shades to see his future manager John Branca (Miles Teller) who stands out from the squares of his board meeting concerning his career. The close up also emulates brainstorming and eureka moments, for example when he comes up with a song reacting to gang violence around the country during the time which turned out to be the “Beat It” music video. Choreography combined with cinematography greatly impacted the film. Dance scenes like the thriller video and how he brought together opposing gangs through dance in the Beat it video. Low angles and panning shots follow the actor as he powers through moves. Even rehearsal sessions from when he was child in the Jackson 5 show the humility and confidence of the upcoming band managed by their father Joe (Colman Domingo)
The film stops during his Bad album titling his struggle to break free from his father control in the Jackson 5. Overall, the film highlights his start up and ultimately is about struggling with his own voice even from when he is child. It shows how he responded to outside elements of his time like gang violence and how the world saw him.
Leave a Reply