Michael Jackson's This Is It
I just watched the movie-documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It. I saw it at the O2, the same venue where, three months ago, I would have witnessed the concert itself.
I won't write a review, I do that for a living and anyway, in this matter, I'm terribly biased. I have been a Michael Jackson fan my entire life, and have never (for one moment in the last thirty one years) failed to stand by his phenomenal artistic vision and obvious talent. I don't use the word 'genius' much, but for Michael, it would be shameful not to call him a genius. Unlike the world's media hacks, I didn't need him to die so tragically to acknowledge that. I'll just say what I know is incontrovertible fact; you have to see this movie. It's two hours of magic. When I wasn't smiling moronically from ear to ear, I was laughing. There was hardly a moment I wasn't wiggling in my seat, resiting the urge to dance. It was mesmerising. As we filed-in to the theatre the usher urged everyone to "Please use every seat, this show is sold out". It was remarkable. A cheer went-up from the packed audience at just the BBFC certificate! The audience sang, cheered, whooped and yelled. Some cried. Everyone clapped their approval at the end of every single song. And for the first time in over 25 years of cinema-going, I witnessed as an entire audience patiently sat through the full end-credits. There was a palpable, bitter-sweet sense in the theatre tonight that we were seeing something remarkable, breathtaking - and painfully fleeting. This was the last 'new' magic from the King of Pop. In the coming years there will be endless greatest hits compilations and new tracks retrieved from the Sony vaults. Some will be amazing. Many more will be diluted pop. (There's a reason Michael didn't release some songs you know! Not everything he committed to tape was a Billie Jean or Man in the Mirror!) So... go watch the movie. Take your friends, take your family. And be sure you make the most of every last second. It's a celebration from beginning to end. You won't be disappointed.
