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'This Is It' Coverage: Michael Jackson's film is the real deal
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I typically don't write in editorial format because I prefer to post the facts and leave my opinions at the door. However, for Michael Jackson I have already done it once and I'm about to do it again. His passing was too sudden and now the movie This Is It, which details much of his last weeks working on the tour is simply that good.
I admit having covered this tour from its inception through his passing and into the movie phase I was skeptical, wondering if this was just a monetary ploy to exploit his fame and the fans grieving his loss. At some level everything in life is about profitability. For me, this film was not. I left the theater reminded of who Michael Jackson was as an artist, as the King of Pop and exactly what he did that made the world idolize him in the first place. All the personal drama of his life faded to gray as I watched what was, in my opinion, a vibrant and colorful portrayal of a man who was artistically a genius. Anyone who has his scope of creative vision for a tour like This Is It is seeing more than the average soul. And perhaps balancing his celebrity and genius, is in part what tormented his personal life.
During the documentary the viewer is given a glimpse of Michael Jackson as a man behind the scenes who was otherwise a stranger. He drew greatness out of the musicians and dancers that surrounded him. At the top of the movie Jackson is shown breaking in music rehearsals to softly demand the musicians "let it [the music] simmer" or "sizzle" for a bit longer. The set, the filming and the people that participated in the creation of the This Is It concept were, quite literally helping Jackson attain his last exhale of perfection. He wanted his fans to see and hear the best of his artistry.
And just the movie footage alone seemed to have the effect he desired. The crowd openly sang and grooved in their chairs to the familiar sounds of "Smooth Criminal", "The Way You Make Me Feel" and a Jackson 5 medley as well as many other MJ classics. His humor and personality on display warmed the auditorium. They cheered when he danced and laughed when he told a lift operator to take him up higher in the Staples Center.
The biggest surprise for me was that he still tangibly held that MJ, King of Pop magic. "Thriller" was the first MJ song I remember hearing as a child and the footage and performance brought me back to that day I was a 5 year old girl sitting on the edge of my bed mesmerized by the music filling my room. His dancing on "Billy Jean" was as sharp and energetic as it had been in years previous when he originally released it. His vocals throughout the rehearsals and filming were as crisp and polished as they ever had been. Most notably though, was his spirit depicted through the lens of a camera which seemed to have found a place of peace and contentment with this final project.
Though the loss of Michael Jackson is still too soon and tragic I cannot think of a better way to remember a true Legend and Pop Icon than by, This Is It. If you haven't seen the movie yet, go see it. If you can't during the week that remains for the theater showings make sure you do when it is out on dvd. Michael Jackson has forever changed our Pop Culture and will be a part of that history on a global scale inevitably.
You can follow everything Michael Jackson and see what people are talking the most about on Examiner.com's Real-Time Michael Jackson Tracker.
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