This Is It: Movie Review Redux

Over on ScreenCrave we were lucky enough to catch a sneak peek of the late Michael Jackson‘s film This Is It. Overall, we were extremely impressed with the way that director Kenny Ortega was able to piece together the film so that it’s not an over-the-top tear jerker but a celebration of the wonderful and creative life that Michael Jackson lead.

Here are some highlights from the review…

• NOT a biopic: I applaud Kenny Ortega for concentrating his film around a very specific period of time and not every shred of Jackson knowledge ever documented. This Is It acutely exhibits Mr. Jackson as what the world deemed him: the greatest entertainer on the planet. While the film obviously isn’t a full career retrospective, it features Mr. Jackson at his most endowed. Every particle of the massive organism that is a Michael Jackson production received it’s due diligence from the King himself. This small six week window captures Mr. Jackson in such creative involvement (staging, choreography, production design, lighting, story-concepts) while still demonstrating grace, patience, and the essential ability to collaborate. It’s effortless to accept Mr. Jackson as the phenomenon he became when the audience can witness what he demanded from his creative collaborators/environment.
• Concert-feel: We really receive the gift of Mr. Jackson’s final performances in the film and the audience is entranced from start to finish. There’s footage of every hit song with impeccable image and sound – it’s easy to forget that you are not, in fact, front row at one of his concerts.
• Intimacy: Regardless of the fact that Mr. Jackson is not always  communicating with the camera, there’s a very immediate intimacy established with the audience. Perhaps because we’re not JUST seeing him in an interview or performing – but in the wings as well. The audience begins to understand Michael Jackson as a complete portrait of success, yes, but also as a human being with subtle quirks and idiosyncrasies.

Check out the full This Is It review on ScreenCrave.