True devotion doesn't always look glamorous. Michael, a musical biopic about the King of pop
The film begins in 1966, when Michael Jackson was eight years old. By that time, The Jackson 5 had been rehearsing and giving small concerts for at least three years. Their abusive father Joe (Colman Domingo) ruthlessly trains five boys and beats them — especially Michael — for any «mistake». And from the very first minutes, we enjoy the unexpectedly skillful reproduction of young Jackson's voice.
Giuliano Cru Valdi, who was only nine years old at the time of filming, is an amazing singer with almost perfect hearing. His performance is a rare level of skill today, which the musical numbers of the film retain throughout the film.
However, the main gem of the film is Jaafar Jackson, Michael's real nephew. He reproduces the adult version of his uncle with amazing accuracy: his dancing movements, his singing voice, his speech and even slightly nervous facial expressions are so accurate that sometimes you forget that Michael is not on the screen. For a biopic about a man who was undoubtedly one of the most skilled singers and dancers of all time, just "good" singing and dancing won't do. Jaafar deserves thunderous applause for coping with the almost impossible task of taking Michael's place, especially as an aspiring actor. Both he and the young Giuliano exceeded all expectations by playing flawlessly in a biopic about the music legend.
However, there is nothing exhaustive behind this whole musical. Some may call the film "shallow" because of this, forgetting that the genre of the biopic is inherently specific. A biopic is not a documentary. It's a dramatized highlight reel of the most important moments, designed to show us why this person mattered. That's probably why the film stops in 1988 — a relatively "safe" year, before the child abuse allegations fully hit. The lack of deep dive into every fragment of his story? Not a disadvantage. It's just the nature of the genre.
After watching it, we may not have a complete picture of his fate, but now we understand. Michael wrote what he was going to become. And, more importantly, he was fully aware of who he was. He had his own style. His own world. A monkey, a snake, a fantasy about an amusement park — all this was in his life. He created the world for himself, and by creating this world, he changed this world.
We saw a man who allowed himself to become exactly what he wanted to become.
Even watching the differences between Michael and his nephews in performances, it was noticeable. The nephew tried his best, but MJ’s movements were sharper, more polished, more iconic. When Michael took a pose and stood perfectly still, it became immortal every time.
And yet, no matter how beautiful it sounds, it's always a hero's journey. It's not glamorous. It's hard. True devotion doesn't always look glamorous. And Michael didn't just want love. He demanded devotion.
We came out of the movie with incredible pleasure from the great performances, the kindness that somehow still emanated from the screen, and that special aftertaste…self-belief. Faith in your craft. The courage to become who you already know you are.
by Marie Guleshova
