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Michael Jackson: This Is It (2009)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
October 30th, 2009
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'This Is It' is one of the most vibrant and entertaining musical documentaries I have ever seen. It is far more than a concert film; it is really a snapshot of Michael Jackson's last days. His sudden death on June 25 came as a shock to me and millions of others. He had been preparing a series of shows in London, ten scheduled dates that, due to popular demand, rose to 50, and it was widely believed that this would serve as the start of an international comeback tour, after years of financial trouble, and slumps in productivity; I doubt he ever would have been able to duplicate the success he enjoyed at his peak in the 1980s and early 90s, before the child molestation allegations, and the gradual, yet dramatic, whitening of his skin, which was due either to a rare dermatological condition, or the use of bleaching chemicals.
And the source of many jokes, his apparent obsession with rhinoplasty and other forms of cosmetic surgery. All of this, his bizarre and highly publicized private life, often overshadowed his immense talent, which is on full display in this movie, and it reminds us what a truly innovative and iconic artist he was.
Director Kenny Ortega was Jackson's creative collaborator, and he compiled nearly 100 hours of footage, and the intimacy of the footage is what I found so remarkable; we mainly see Jackson in rehearsal, maintaining an astonishing work ethic, and treating each member of his crew with respect, never succumbing to anger or arrogance. He makes his voice heard, and micro-manages every aspect of his elaborate stage spectacle; he works closely with his team of talented choreographers, many of whom obviously draw inspiration from him and the famous dance moves he introduced, which can be expertly imitated, but never quite performed with the same level of passion, intensity, energy, or skill by anyone else.
What comes across strongly is his kindness and professionalism; what is never addressed are the circumstances surrounding his death, which was probably caused by a deadly diet of prescription drugs, given to him by his personal physician. However, it is odd that the man we see here shows no signs of fatigue, or other symptoms typically associated with physical illness or serious forms of addiction. He seems to be in fine shape, fiercely committed to his craft. His music was his top priority.
And speaking of the music, that is undoubtedly the main attraction, with terrific renditions of The Way You Make Me Feel, Smooth Criminal, Man in the Mirror, and Billie Jean, basically all of his biggest hits, with a few less familiar songs, including some from his Jackson 5 repertoire, which I really appreciated. In selecting words to describe Jackson and his musical legacy, I would go with brilliant, or timeless, or mesmerizing, or possibly electrifying. All of those adjectives suitably describe this film, as well. Another film needs to be made about Jackson, a definitive, up-to-date biopic, and perhaps a documentary about his relationship with the media, and what effect this had on him.
Michael, of course, was not perfect. His reckless spending habits led him to bankruptcy and enormous debt. He admitted in a live interview that he did, in fact, allow children to share his bed, while he slept on the floor, and insisted that nothing sexual ever occurred. He donated much of his time and money to philanthropic endeavors that benefited children around the world. He wanted to recreate the childhood he was cruelly deprived of by fame and his overbearing father/manager, and so built a sprawling estate he named Neverland, and believed himself to be an incarnation of Peter Pan. He was briefly affiliated with the Nation of Islam and harbored some anti-Semitic views. He mutilated his own body and was a drug addict.
No one could deny that he was weird, but most celebrities are. We just heard about Jackson's eccentricities more frequently, and became fixated on them. He once married the daughter of Elvis, and now stands to enjoy the same degree of posthumous success. I am currently revisiting all of his videos, starting with Thriller, and working my way up through Scream (a duet with his sister Janet), and the 35-minute Ghosts, on which he collaborated with Stephen King. He certainly earned the title King of Pop.
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