Michael | Film Review

 

The life and legacy of pop superstar Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson).

I have to preface this review by saying that I wouldn't consider myself a fan of Michael Jackson's life or music, and I probably wouldn't have seen this if I hadn't watched it with actual fans, so my thoughts on it will be different than if I was a big fan.

As it stands, I thought the film was fine. I didn't love it, but I wouldn't say it was bad either.

Though some of that is definitely tied to not being a fan. If you're not interested in Michael's history then the story itself isn't that interesting.

That being said, it does a good job of giving you an insight into the struggles he went through, and definitely draws sympathy.

The story became somewhat incoherent when it moved from childhood to adulthood, but individually both periods of the character's life had merit and made for interesting individual stories.

The thing that lets the story down is the writing. This would have been great if it was just a recreated visual album, because the performances are the best part of the film and the main thing you remember after seeing it.

That being said, the acting was great. Jaafar Jackson did a great job with his portrayal and the supporting cast were also fantastic.

It would have been nice to spend more time with some of the supporting characters. For example, it would have been great and the story might have felt more well-rounded if we actually got to know the brothers a bit better, rather than them just feeling like props for Michael's story.

It tried to explore some of the trauma that Michael experienced, but a lot of this felt very surface-level and didn't go deep enough to feel like a true exploration.

Overall, while I didn't love everything about the film, I do think it was successful in taking Michael Jackson from myth to man, and it was definitely made for fans, rather than the casual viewer, which I am.

6/10