MICHAEL JACKSON'S THIS IS IT (2009)

Add Review To List
Add Film To List
Write Your Own Review

"What should have been an exploitive cash grab actually turns into a heartfelt tribute to an American talent lost (a little) too soon."

The first thing that becomes apparent while watching Kenny Ortega's THIS IS IT is that Michael Jackson was certainly primed for an amazing comeback. The King of Pop barely puts any energy into these routines as he rehearses for a 50 night sold out show in Europe. Many times after a song, the singer suggests that he is saving his voice. You can tell that he isn't going as far out as he can in the moment. He needs the pull of the crowd, and the energy associated with ten thousand screaming fans. Even at that, the performances in this film are incredible. Despite MJ's numerous problems, which seemed to have all stacked up in the years leading to his death, he still remains a fascinating watch. Even in these sometimes-blurry snippets of backstage life. He exudes an aura that is indescribable, and all the accumulated dirt seems to wash away as he rediscovers that electric vibe and groove once lost to the deeper recesses of his soul.

Maybe he should have done this sooner. Maybe he should have been more open in public, speaking as a human being instead of some creepy ghost that lingered high above his own suppressive tabloid headlines. In the public eye, Michael Jackson died a long time ago. Only now, with this film, does he get to live again, breathing in a natural life away from the spotlight. While the dance routines, even in their roughshod form, with Michael wearing his own street clothes (seriously, the guy looks like he went to a rummage sale at Corey Feldman's house), are transportive and quite literally mesmerizing, it's the small moments that will resonate most with fans and non-fans alike. It's hard to walk away from the film and not like the man.

It's hard to judge if these same feelings would exist had he survived this grueling rehearsal process, which saw him ingesting far too many drugs to keep his rather skinny frame going at full thrust. This is never touched upon in the film at all. And we never get a glimpse of Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael's physician that was on hand twenty-four seven. Had he been included, this would have turned into a much different film. It truly would have earned its exploitive stamp of cruelty. Instead, Ortega, Jackson's creative partner in pulling this new live show off, keeps the attention pointed directly at Michael and his music. He does it with a steady directorial hand that understands the nuances of plotting and structure.

The film has a definite beginning and end, opening with a set of testimonials from MJ's back-up dancers (to me, these looked staged A.D.), through their audition process, to putting together each and every number of the show, to the climax we would have seen on stage had Michael made it to that point in his life. We get to see the interstitials that Ortega and Jackson shot to run throughout the program. Interestingly, Ortega doesn't just let these run in real time as intended (I believe we will see them in their entirety on the DVD). He inter-cuts them with footage of Michael onset, over-seeing every aspect of their production. For Smooth Criminal, he has been digital inserted into an old black and white movie with Rita Heyworth and Humphrey Bogart. For Thriller, they have created a new 3D mini-movie that is set to play on stage while thousands of real ghosts infiltrate the theater and fly over concertgoers' heads. Its eye-widening, spectacular stuff. Even in raw form. You may walk away, disheartened that this show never made it to the final stages of production.

Carefully interspersed throughout the musical numbers, of which there are many, Ortega opens the floor and allows the real Michael Jackson to step inside the building. If only for a moment or two. There are some quite personal interactions that are gratuitous, if only because watching them, we know Michael never expected the world to see this. There are true smiles. We experience dialogue exchanges that open him up and make him less of a mysterious monster and more of a human being. That's mainly why the film works. His hard exterior shell is cracked open, and we find a real, somewhat average dude locked inside. It's the one part of his persona he's always kept hidden away from the public eye. Because of that, one has to wonder what Jackson would have thought of this had he a say in the matter.

Would he be happy with the finished product? Probably not. He's a stated perfectionist. The film offers up his flaws. We see him forgetting song lyrics and trying to capture a long lost magic. He sweats. He struggles. Most of this footage would have never seen the light of day were he still with us. He may have screamed and pouted in Kenny's presence upon its launch in theaters. We see in the film that he wanted to give audiences the single greatest musical performance and stage show they have ever seen. Not just the glimpses of it that are offered here. This is an incomplete work of genius. But that's what makes it so fascinating. Despite what MJ may have thought of this, he is actually given back to the public in a very human, heartfelt way. Even with 50 sold out shows in London, that may have never happened without this film.

Its true. Death brought new life back to the legend that is Michael Jackson. He was crucified, and is now being resurrected as a spiritual healer from beyond the grave. The Christ-like metaphors are abundant, and the film is absorbing in the same way actual found footage of Jesus may have been. A behind the scenes look at someone who was bigger than this world. In truth, Michael Jackson was just a man. A very talented man, none-the-less. It's the projected gratitude of a million screaming fans that has lifted him into the stratosphere. In his passing he has become something more than dead. He has become a legend. Kenny Ortega's THIS IS IT! Brings him back down to planet earth for a few precious moments. And we should never overlook the fact that this documentary of sorts also stands as a tribute to the many hard working and talented individuals that put their heart and soul into Michael Jackson's live comeback. Without them, the film would certainly not have been this interesting. And I believe they deserve as much applause as the man in the mirror.

Kenny Ortega's THIS IS IT! Whoop-doo!

(All of B. Alan Orange's reviews are based on the Boo! or Whoop-doo! evaluation system.)