Something I Said
This Is It
Dwight Hobbes
MN Spokesman-Recorder Michael Jackson was one of the greatest entertainers since Sammy Davis, Jr. Even on the comeback trail, he towered over the music industry worldwide. The man’s abilities were nothing short of miraculous. He sang with uncanny clarity and could dance his skinny little butt off. The term genius might just be an understatement. All of which underscores the travesty that is This Is It, a supposed tribute. It amounts to nothing more than one more vulture, director Kenny Ortega, picking at a carcass — just like the tabloid media, making the best buck possible off the death of an incredibly popular artist. The film is footage from rehearsals for Michael Jackson’s planned This Is It tour. With interviews. Not a bad idea. Who wouldn’t want a glimpse behind the scenes of preparation for a Michael Jackson concert? It’s intriguing enough if you’re not a fan, but, for those of us who loved his music, it is irresistible. The problem is, no care at all was taken to make this a creative undertaking. It was slapped together and rolled out like meat on a slab, packaged and sold with Ortega blithely strolling straight to the bank. Nobody gave a flying figure-eight about making it watchable. This Is It opens with a paragraph stating that Jackson authorized the film for installment in his personal library. He didn’t mean for it to be publicly released – at least not in this shape (Jackson, well known for being a maniacal perfectionist, would’ve never let such a slipshod affair represent him). But, here we have it, a boring-as-watching-paint-dry take on the legend that was Michael Jackson. Jackson sings beautifully, doing his biggest hits, including a Jackson Five medley. He dances sharply. Instead of complimenting Jackson’s skill, though, with tight, inventive cinema work. Ortega directs as an afterthought, splicing performance and interviews with musicians and dancers (Jackson is not interviewed) into a formula that gets old after 15 minutes. Michael Jackson works a song. Somebody gets interviewed. Michael Jackson works a song. Somebody gets interviewed. Michael Jackson works a song…” For all that Jackson on stage was electrifying beyond words, it’s not hard to lose that immediacy on screen. All it takes is droning exposure to each different song being handled the same and Ortega milking minutia to the point at which a log would be put to sleep. On the upside, Jackson never ran out of talent, he just started going with pedestrian material. Here, we see him sink his teeth into some of his richest stuff, mostly from the record-shattering, chart-topping Thriller. There is something eerie about watching him do an idle run-through of “Human Nature”. It’s a haunting, hypnotic ballad showcasing a gorgeous melody rendered with the ultimate in finesse. Jackson, off-handedly nails it, every nuance, like it was lunch. Then, matter-of-factly instructs the musical director as to how the arrangement is to be executed. We could’ve used, frankly, a few more moments like that and a lot less of Ortega shooting asterisk-kissing testimonies from Jackson’s backup ensemble. In a nutshell, skip the movie and buy the soundtrack. You’ll get killer renditions of “Man In The Mirror”, “Billie Jean” and “Beat It”. Too bad he just did a rough take on the Jackson 5 songs, skipping lyrics, listening to the mix and generally situating himself, or the medley would make it to the album. Had Ortega trimmed about a half-hour and put forth some effort, This Is It would’ve done Michael Jackson justice. This half-baked effort, however, does nothing to honor the legacy of a monumental performer.
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