The Michael Jackson Biopic Avoids the Man in the Mirror
Who is the real man in the mirror?
Animation: 731; Katsumi Murouchi/Getty Images; Nadezhda Kurbatova/iStock/Getty Images; Glen Wilson/Lionsgate; Frank Edwards/Getty Images
There’s a version of the Michael Jackson story that is palatable to the remaining members of the Jackson family. It’s not one that most casual observers of his controversial life would give much credibility. Nor is it one that devoted fans of his music feel is remotely complete. It’s designed, first and foremost, to protect the future earnings potential of the estate his talent built.
That’s the driving force behind Michael, the long-awaited biopic of the late singer, released in theaters worldwide on Friday. It’s a movie that portrays Jackson as a troubled eccentric, the product of an otherworldly talent and a violent father eager to exploit it. These observations are accurate, but the film falls disappointingly far from offering a true portrait.