FILM FRENZY

Michael Jackson (with Orianthi) in This Is It (Photos: Sony)

By Matt Brunson

(This feature is part of a rotating series that digs into the past and uncovers a movie as follows: Two-Star Tuesday for a movie that earns either two or two-and-a-half stars; One-Star Wednesday for a movie that earns either one or one-and-a-half stars; Three-Star Thursday for a movie that earns either three or three-and-a-half stars; and Four-Star Friday for a movie that earns four stars.)

THIS IS IT (2009)
★★★½ (out of four)
DIRECTED BY Kenny Ortega
STARS Michael Jackson, Orianthi

A sadness permeates the opening moments in the behind-the-scenes piece This Is It (aka Michael Jackson’s This Is It), but it has nothing to do with Michael Jackson’s death. Instead, the sequence — filmed, like the rest of the movie, while Jackson was very much alive — centers on the talented young dancers and singers who auditioned to be a part of the King of Pop’s planned series of London concerts. As each person describes the thrill of being included in the Jackson legacy — many of them tearing up as they speak — they comment on how much this opportunity means to them, with one or two even stating that this concert gave them a newfound purpose in their unfocused lives. It’s a heartbreaking sequence, considering that Jackson’s death meant that none would be able to live the dream that seemed within their collective grasp.

It’s a smart way to open the film, filling audience members with emotion before the man himself takes the stage to prepare for his mammoth undertaking. After all, many folks (myself included) turned away from Jackson once he made the complete transformation to tabloid freak, and, to be sure, certain audience members are sure to experience an initial wave of nausea as this oddball with a dubious history gets ready for his close-up. But then an amazing thing happens. It starts with the music, those generation-spanning hits that have the power to produce instant bouts of affectionate nostalgia. Then there come the dance steps, not as fast and furious as before, but still deft enough to catch the eye. And finally, there’s the sheer spectacle, the showmanship that was arguably as responsible for keeping MJ in the light as any other aspect of his carefully constructed career. Combined, these elements make resistance futile, and for two shimmering hours, all the ghosts of scandals past melt away, leaving in their wake an entertainer whose only desire is to dazzle. And dazzle he does.

With all of the footage coming from the rehearsals that took place from April through June of 2009, This Is It provides backstage access to all the prepping for what promised to be one hell of a concert. With the special effects work completed for many of the show’s rear-screen spectacles, the movie is able to hint at the larger-than-life dimensions that even at their most bombastic never threaten to obscure the human dynamo working front and center. Ever the perfectionist, Jackson comes across as prickly on occasion but generally displays patience and warmth toward those around him — albeit always at an emotional distance. Yet when he gets into his zone as a performer, he invites everyone to the party, grooving as one with his backups and even allowing others to occasionally snag the spotlight. He tackles most of the major hits, including “The Man in the Mirror,” “Beat It,” and, of course, “Thriller.” The Jackson 5 sequence, complete with vintage footage, is unexpectedly moving, as is an elaborate production number set to the lovely “Earth Song.”

Ultimately, This Is It doesn’t quite feel like a documentary, nor does it seem like a concert film. It’s clearly a love letter to the fans, but, perhaps more importantly, it’s an olive branch to the latter-day critics, cynics, and naysayers, all of whom probably showed up to bury Jackson, not praise him. But the joke’s on us. Wisely remaining within the parameters of the rehearsal arena, the movie keeps sensationalism and sordidness at bay. And by doing so, it allows us one final look at the Man in the Mirror, an unblemished view that reflects nothing but a desire to let the music play.