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Michael Jackson's last show rehearsal - Source: Kevin Mazur/AEG/Getty Images via image.net -
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This Is It
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Michael Jackson, Kenny Ortega
Director: Kenny Ortega
It's easy to dismiss This Is It as yet another exploitation of a
frequently derided man. Yet this documentary does not set out to
reveal Michael Jackson's final days in gory detail. Instead, it is
a fascinating homage to a musician revered by fans the world
over.
At the time of Jackson's death in July, he was working on a
50-concert programme to be performed in London in August. With High
School Musical director Kenny Ortega overseeing the stage show,
This Is It promised to be Jackson's most explosive concert yet, his
self-proclaimed 'final curtain call'.
The project was deemed ambitious from the start - Jackson was
frail, frequently photographed wearing facial masks, his face
distorted by years of ill-advised plastic surgery. Not to
mention the controversy regarding his children and the allegations
of child abuse.
But This Is It strips away the scandal and goes back to
basics. Because when it comes down to it, Michael Jackson was
a musician and a showman.
Ortega has constructed This Is It to reflect the stage show he had
created with Jackson. Each song is traced from development to
rehearsal, with a sneak peek of the special effects intended for
the final performances.
The behind-the-scenes footage allows a glimpse into Jackson's
gruelling rehearsals, and his interaction with his dancers and
musicians. Extraordinarily, Jackson was present throughout the
whole process, honing the stage show spectacular that was never
meant to be.
It seems he was at times a tough boss and a bit of a prima donna,
too. Ortega frequently indulges his minor tantrums,
successfully placating one of pop's most fragile figures.
On stage, Jackson commanded the respect of his musicians, crew and
his audience. It seems they gave it to him in spades. His dancers
flew the world over for the opportunity to audition, his musicians
catered to his every whim.
It seems tragic that such an extraordinary amount of effort would
eventually go to waste. Perhaps This Is It is a bittersweet ending
to the tour that never was.
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