Welcome to the first edition of my highly irreverent reviews blog, Closed Cans. Obviously here i shall delve deep into the sinister, but also cuddly worlds of TV, film and video game reviews. Of course i could have done this sort of thing in my other migraine-inducing blog, I Quit, but i felt that these sorts of things may need a bit of spotlight, like a spoilt young boy who wants a separate room from his older brother. So let’s get crackalacking.
Right, if i were to say to you, “what was the most memorable moment of 2009 for you?” Most would probably say good times with friends and family over the summer, or that time Uncle Bob slipped on a banana skin and poured spaghetti bolognaise all over himself. However, if you thought Michael Jackson’s death, then well, it would neither be right or wrong as it being a personal experience. However, Michael Jackson’s unfortunate passing made the Earth hold down the stop button for a few months while everyone came to terms with it. But what got to most people were the now redundant concert tickets to his upcoming tour, to which for obvious reasons Michael couldn’t perform, so instead the masses were given the gift of the feature length documentary, This Is It.
This Is It is a behind-the-scenes come docu-drama chronicling the rehearsal period of the aforementioned cancelled concert. Originally, it was intended for Michael Jackson’s personal records and for the concert itself. But those lovely people at Columbia wanted to share this experience. In this experience, you can see Michael parading around in his notorious glittery military uniform, dancing on stage as if he’s just been shot with a taser, and interviews with the cast and crew. Frequently of which, the said cast and crew are introduced to the film in the most embarrassing way possible, with their name slowly appearing on screen whilst they cried their eyes out at the mere fact of being in the very vicinity to the King of Pop. From this you would have thought he di-, never mind.
The film is a bit all over the place, more of a music video compilation intertwined with shots of Michael getting hands of with the technical side of things – fireworks, movie shorts of his 1930’s gangster fixations, and into the nitty-gritty of teaching the backing dancers Jackson-style movements and techniques. Frequently the camera would be focusing on the pyrotechnics of the introduction, then Jackson would nonchalantly come along and change it. It seems in every shot Mr Jackson just walks in as if the camera isn’t there, despite being fully aware of its presence and thus attempting to look casual.
Ultimately, for Jackson fans, this would be interesting viewing, I being one of them. Watching the King of Pop getting hands on with all aspects of the concert’s preparation is interesting, but generally feels staged. Most of the time, it felt like a promotional video for a corporation, where a manager sits on a balcony in the Algarve with a sunset behind him and sipping a French Wine. Despite this, scenes of which he’s teaching the backing dancers moves is rather insightful, giving the viewer a taste of how Jackson’s mind works. However, the biggest flaw to this film is the isolation. By that I mean you always see Jackson moving around and what-not, talking to everyone, but for the majority of the time it seemed the camera was spying on him, never getting close or interacting with Michael. It seems you can only get so close the man himself, even on a DVD. Personally, I couldn’t help feeling constantly distanced from the star. But as this was meant to be sat on his shelf at Neverland ranch, why would he want to see himself being interviewed? It’d be like singing with the man in the mirror.
7/10
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