Michael, not for those who seek the dark side of the moonwalker

I was never a major Michael Jackson fan. But I loved his energy on stage, his childlike innocence and unfeigned naivete about the way the world exploited a wealthy cherub. I mean, who but the most innocent would tell a shark-like interviewer that he enjoyed sleeping time with kids, without even realizing he was recorded and sexual innuendos would be added to his remarks. The scandalous utterly unethical “interview” couldn’t destroy MJ’s career.

It shows the strength and power of his public image, as opposed to the dirty dark deeds that were attributed to him. If you are looking for dirt, stay away from this film. For those like me who want to celebrate the life and songs of one of the biggest pop-rock artists of all times (MJ, in fact, in many ways defines an entire era of pop) the director Antoine Fuqua’s biopic is a breathtaking, breathless beguiling strong and persuasive piece of cinema, filled with extremely moving moments that bring out MJ’s vulnerability and passion without making a song and dance of them.

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There is this particular moment that stayed with me, when the child MJ (played with adorable savoir-faire by little Juliano Krue Valdi) instinctively turns around and hugs Motown’s head honcho Berry Gordy before being herded out by his abusive father. This said all about his hunger for love that needed to be said. Colman Domingo and Nia Long are absolutely fabulous as MJ’s parents. After his infamous hair-on-fire incident on stage when the onscreen MJ is in hospital, there is a beautifully written sequence where his mother brings up the father’s abusive behaviour’ MJ shuts her up with, ‘Right now I don’t want to talk about it.’ The larger unstated point here is, when is a good time to talk of dreadful family secrets?

Michael unveils the mystique of Michael Jackson without making a demi-god of him. As played by the real Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, MJ comes alive in ways not normally accessible to actors who play real-life characters, and that too someone so monstrously iconic as MJ. It is hard to believe this is a debut film. Jaafar doesn’t just speak, sing, dance like MJ. This is the real MJ reincarnated. I have never seen a legend being internalized by an actor to this extent. Think what you like about the film(some learned critics have called it ‘sanitized’) but Jaafar IS Michael Jackson.

No two ways about that. Michael may not connect with today’s youngsters, for whom Michael is history. That would be a pity. Here is a screen rendering of a musician whose vulnerability was his main musical strength. The film doesn’t reach that crescendo of emotions that would have qualified it as an unquestionable masterpiece. But it gets close. As close as humanly possible to the musical magician who moonwalked into our lives, oh so gingerly.

(THE REVIEWER IS A VETERAN JOURNALIST AND FILM CRITIC)