This is really it

November 7, 11:09 PMScottsdale Relationships ExaminerRobin Cain

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They say there is a very fine line between genius and crazy. Often apparent in those with an absolutely brilliant understanding of things like orbital mechanics or quarks, this delineation relates to those individuals that seem to exist on some higher plane than the rest of us. They think differently, they act differently and they have a grasp of information most of us will never even begin to comprehend. Consequently, their social skills and personalities often suffer at the cost of their intelligence and talents. That is not to say every physicist or rocket scientist is crazy, but let’s just say they are able to look at the world through a different lens than the rest of us.

I was reminded tonight just how fine that line is when it comes to the truly creative and intuitive talents of the world. Case in point? Michael Jackson.

Twenty-five years ago, before he was even close to what most would consider a little ‘off’, I was a huge fan - bought his records, followed his career and would have paid an arm and a leg to have seen him in concert. That was before he changed the color of his skin, before he altered his face to resemble something completely unnatural and before he faced charges of child molestation. I thought that once upon a time, Michael Jackson was a talent the likes of which the world had never seen.

His bad publicity, bad decisions and his even worse behavior slowly got the best of him and his shiny star quickly began to fade. I, like many others, questioned his sanity, his management and his upbringing. For the most part, he became another sad story among the many that fame and money write.

Tonight, twenty-five long years after being one of his biggest fans, I went to see “THIS IS IT", the movie montage made from film shot during his rehearsals for what was to have been his ‘come-back and farewell’ concert series. When the movie came out a couple weeks ago I had no intention of seeing it (which only serves to emphasize my faded adoration), but a friend talked me into it.

My review? There is a fine line between genius and crazy and, sadly,  Michael Jackson spent a lifetime teetering there.

Too much fame? Too much money? Too little childhood? One will never know, but this skillfully spliced together film footage makes it all too obvious that the world truly did lose a creative talent the likes of which we will never see again.

Regardless of what one may have thought of the man and his personal life, this movie is a must-see. Not only is the viewer treated to his greatest songs and seemingly-impossible dance moves, but the child-like wonder of a man (who for the majority of his life was encased in an inescapable bubble of fame, fortune and fairyland) is on display like never before. With such an inside look at not only the enigma that was Michael Jackson, but the brilliance of his vision, one cannot walk away without the realization that this is really it. And a sad realization it is.

There is a very fine line between genius and crazy, but it’s at that fine line where brilliance is often most apparent. Tonight I was reminded that though Michael Jackson may indeed have crossed the line, he certainly provided us all with a new standard for brilliance.