FILM REVIEW
MICHAEL
Rated PG-13
127 Minutes
Released April 24th
To everyone who complains that this movie represents Michael Jackson’s life only until 1988 and does not go into his dark later years, I say, “Stop trying to pick this production apart and enjoy it for the spectacular feat that it is, showcasing the incredible talent of one of the greatest singer/ songwriter/ performers who ever lived.” The film delves into stories and passages from Michael’s life that portend the tragic developments of his later years and shed light on how his personality was formed.
The way the story moves through Michael’s early life is graceful as it unpeels layers of his background so we can understand how his identity was formed. The visuals mounted by cinematographer Dion Beebe are beautifully composed, and the editing makes the narrative flow. The concerts are beautifully staged and shot, like superb music videos within the movie, and there is not one boring or repetitive moment.
I thought I would have a hard time accepting anyone playing Michael Jackson, even his own nephew, Jaafar, because the real performer remains such a presence in my memory. For that, I stand corrected. Jaafar Jackson, son of Michael’s brother Jermaine, is extraordinary as his own uncle. Every member of the cast is beautifully selected by casting director Victoria Thomas, who should be Oscar-nominated for her work here.
One of the producers of the movie is John Branca, of the renowned entertainment law firm Ziffren, Brittenham & Branca (the LLP’s name in 1995). As you will learn in this movie, Branca championed Michael as a solo performer, was one of the few people Michael trusted, and was a major component to his success. Branca is now co-executor of the Estate of Michael Jackson. He has represented multiple musicians in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and serves on the Board of the Grammy Museum. Young “Branca” in the movie is played so convincingly by Miles Teller that the actor is virtually unrecognizable.
The always riveting Colman Domingo plays Michael’s father, “Joseph.” Domingo is one of those actors who can immerse himself completely into his role and jettison his own identity. Also turning in stellar performances are Nia Long as Michael’s mother, “Katherine,” and Larenz Tate as “Berry Gordy.” KeiLyn Durrel Jones plays with great sensitivity as Michael’s driver/ bodyguard, “Bill Bray,” the most stable person in the star’s young life.
Juliano Valdi plays Michael during the period of The Jackson Five. Valdi spent long hours learning to sing and move as Michael. In the star’s teen years, Jaafar takes over the role. Even though Jaafar has been a singer/songwriter since the age of 12, he still trained for hours a day for two years to replicate Michael’s voice, his rhythm, his timing, and his inflection. He rehearsed dance daily with Michael’s former choreographers, Rich and Tone Talauega, to the point where his feet were numb at the end of the day, in order to master Michael’s moves.
The work and training that the actors dedicated to this production to bring their characters alive is astounding. What makes the music explode on the screen is the skill and background of director Antoine Fuqua. Fuqua was discovered by Jerry Bruckheimer in 1995 when Bruckheimer needed a music video for Dangerous Minds. Fuqua had been making music videos and commercials since 1990, and Bruckheimer gave him a job that was the spark to his directing career, which has since delivered classics such as Training Day (2001), Olympus Has Fallen (2013), The Equalizer (2014), and TV series such as The Mayor of Kingstown (2021-2025).
Fuqua’s creative nascence in music videos truly allows his style to come alive in this movie.
Even if you were looking for a different angle to the story, this movie is worth your time for the superbly staged and performed music sequences, which will have you believing you are really watching Michael Jackson. It’s not just because the songwriting of Michael Jackson is magical. The magic lies in the fact that Jaafar has channeled Michael’s intuitive sense of the rhythm and heartbeat of the music.
Yes, this story stops in 1988. It is the story of Michael’s earlier years, and it sheds light on the question of where he was as a person and as a performer when he wrote each of many iconic songs. This is a miracle of a movie and is also Oscar-worthy. No one could have played Michael but Jaafar, no one in the world. And not because Jaafar looks like a Michael clone. It’s because this nephew of Michael somehow reaches out and grabs the profound loneliness and sadness mixed with pent-up anger that haunted his uncle.
Regardless of the tragic notes of Michael Jackson’s life, he was a brilliant artist, and through his efforts and the shrewd business acumen of the people around him, he was able to create a showcase of his art for the entire world of his time and of the future to be lifted by that art. For that, we should appreciate the complex being known as Michael Jackson, even with all his flaws.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
