Reviews

Many musicians have received the biopic treatment in recent years, so it was only a matter of time before Michael Jackson got his own movie.

Antoine Fuqua’s film isn’t a cradle-to-grave biopic that covers Michael’s entire life (that would have been impossible to fit into one film) but one that focuses on a specific time of his life: 1966 to 1988.

The film begins with controlling Jackson patriarch Joe (Colman Domingo) forming The Jackson 5 and forcing his sons Michael, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon to rehearse over and over.

The five-piece, led by 10-year-old Michael (Juliano Valdi), are ultimately noticed by Motown and become stars.

Eventually, Michael (now played by the star’s nephew Jaafar Jackson) decides to strike out on his own and become a solo artist – but he struggles to stand up to his abusive father, who holds him back from solo superstardom by forcing him to continue performing with his brothers. The film revolves around this central conflict.

Because the story ends in 1988, the team conveniently get out of addressing the allegations of child abuse aimed at Michael in the ’90s and beyond.

According to reports, Fuqua originally intended to do so, but the film had to be reworked after they discovered they legally weren’t allowed to depict or mention Michael’s first accuser in any project. Perhaps a rumoured sequel will tackle this subject matter.

By whitewashing his legacy, Michael is a generic, safe biopic that presents the King of Pop as a saint who could do no wrong and had nothing going on outside of work or his family – and that will make his fans very happy.

The film doesn’t seem interested in us getting to know the man behind the persona. You get small glimpses of it when Michael is alone with his mother Katherine (Nia Long), sister La Toya (Jessica Sula) or his driver/security Bill (KeiLyn Durrel Jones) but there’s not much deep or nuance there.

Fuqua was more concerned with recreating iconic performances – Bad at Wembley Stadium, the Thriller music video, his first moonwalk – and making sure every hit is covered in some way, either in the recording studio, at a dance rehearsal or video shoot or on stage.

The performance scenes are done very well and deliver exactly what the fans want from this film. You often forget you’re watching Jaafar Jackson because he looks and sounds so much like his uncle.

He nails the dance moves, speaks like him (his singing vocals are mixed with Michael’s) and recreates his stage presence perfectly.

Given that the Jackson family and estate were so involved in Michael, it was never going to be a no-holds-barred film.

However, this is a hollow, sanitised celebration of a once-in-a-generation artist and his greatest hits. It’s an enjoyable experience, but you can’t forget about the unaddressed elephant in the room.

In cinemas from Wednesday 22nd April

By Hannah Wales

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