Antoine Fuqua's Michael Jackson Biopic Sidesteps Controversy, Lacks Depth
Antoine Fuqua's biopic 'Michael,' starring Jaafar Jackson, traces Michael Jackson's rise from the Jackson 5 to global stardom, focusing on his oppressive childhood under father Joseph Jackson and his creative partnership with Quincy Jones on albums like 'Off the Wall' and 'Thriller.' The film deliberately halts before the legal controversies of Jackson's later life, hinting at a sequel. Critics argue the film, while attempting to show Jackson's artistic complexity, ultimately delivers a sanitized, emotionally safe portrait that fails to truly investigate its subject's contradictions. The review contends that the biopic genre itself struggles to capture the density of a real life without reducing it to a predictable arc.
Key facts
- The biopic 'Michael' is directed by Antoine Fuqua and stars Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson.
- The film covers Jackson's childhood with the Jackson 5 under his father Joseph Jackson's strict control.
- It depicts Jackson's solo career and collaboration with Quincy Jones on 'Off the Wall' and 'Thriller'.
- The narrative stops before Jackson's legal controversies, suggesting a sequel.
- The review criticizes the film for lacking interpretive depth and presenting an 'domesticated' image of Jackson.
- The film is described as structurally limited by the biopic genre's tendency to simplify complex lives.
- The review notes the film's best moments are in recording studio sequences showing Jackson's creative process.
- The article argues the film reveals the inherent difficulty of biopics in portraying real-life density.
Entities
Artists
- Michael Jackson
- Jaafar Jackson
- Antoine Fuqua
- Joseph Jackson
- Quincy Jones
Institutions
- Jackson 5