'Michael' a must-see if you love King of Pop's music

There's one scene in the Antoine Fuqua's film "Michael" that really stood out. It's when Michael Jackson, then just about 10-years old, is recording his vocals on a Jackson 5 tune. Michael is being recorded by Motown founder Berry Gordy, and separated from the producer — as well as his brothers and father — by glass. On Michael's side, there's just a microphone. As he hears the opening bars of the backing track for "I Want You Back," he begins to dance. Gordy stops the recording and asks Michael to stop dancing, since it may alter his vocal. Michael readily agrees. But when the music starts, Michael starts to dance again. Again, Gordy stops the tape. He asks Michael to move closer to the microphone. Again, Michael agrees. But as soon as the music hits, the 10-year-old soon-to-be superstar begins to move again. Finally, Gordy smiles and just goes with it. That's the essence of the film, and perhaps, the biggest thing about the first three quarters of Michael's career, which the film covers. Michael couldn't stop dancing to the music. Sitting in the theater earlier this week, I had to stop from dancing, and singing, along. But too often, I couldn't help myself. "Michael" is carried by the music of the Jackson 5 and Michael's solo career, and by the incredible performances of the actors. Juliano Valdi plays Michael as a child, and is irrepressibly sweet and sympathetic, as his character navigates his incredible talent against his social awkwardness as well as his abusive father (and manager) Joseph. Jaafar Jackson plays Michael as a teenager and young adult. Jaafar is the son of the Jackson 5 member Jermaine, and his physical and musical similarities to his uncle are startling. Jackson looks and sounds so much like Michael that you almost forget you're watching a movie. But this is not a documentary. This is not a film that goes too deep into the serious, complicated nature of Michael. His father, Joseph, is played as a complete ogre by Colman Domingo. He's the heavy in the film, and the cause for most of the tension. Michael is played to be innocent and trusting but also scared of his father — to the point where at one point he insists his manager fire Joseph by fax. Michael is the star and the hero. If you're looking for an overly complex portrait of the man, this isn't it. Which, given the time frame of the film, makes some sense. The movie portrays the star's life from the mid-60s until 1988, when Michael is about 30. Even at that time, Michael was seen as more of an eccentric genius. It wasn't until the next decade that the horrifying allegations against Michael became public. There will be a sequel to "Michael," which is set to cover the rest of the King of Pop's life. That will almost assuredly be sadder than this film. But at the same time, these movies are made with heavy family involvement. Michael's son, Prince, was the executive producer. The Jackson estate also had control over the project, although some family members — most notably Janet — were not involved at all. This becomes apparent, since in all of the scenes with the family, Janet is never seen nor mentioned. That's odd, especially considering her own star was rising by the late '80s. The fact is, when the family is involved in a project like this, you are likely to get a favorable slant, unless you're Joan Crawford. But look, the film is about Michael. The entire Jackson 5 is portrayed, but they are not given any real individual personalities. Tito, Jermaine, Jackie and Marlon are shown as supportive, but also as interchangeable. Essentially, they are not only backing up Michael on stage, but in the film as well. There's a scene at the end of the movie where there's a closeup of all five brothers, but nothing in the previous two hours has given you reason to know any of them, except Michael. But the reality is, you're going to want to see this movie for the music, and the recreation of Michael's performances. Those are exceptional. Fuqua deserves credit for that. His direction is on point (his uncle, Harvey, was a prominent R&B singer, producer and music executive for Motown). If you have an appreciation for Michael Jackson's music, this film is a must-see, for that alone. You get a reminder of just how special a talent Michael was. The songs come on, and you just want to dance along. Just like a young Michael in the studio.Zach Baker is sports editor and music columnist for The Courier.