Jackson film offers unbiased insight

Michael Jackson fans have protested the release of the concert film, “Michael Jackson’s This Is It.”

The documentary, which chronicles the rehearsal process behind the much-anticipated Jackson concert at London’s O2 Arena, was suspected by the MJ loyal to be an exploitation of the artist’s memory.

It’s not hard to understand their fears: “This Is It” could have easily been a creation of melodramatic mush that romanticizes the singer’s life and history — in short, nothing different from the 24-hour CNN coverage that followed his death.

While there is a fair bit of melodrama in the opening segment (courtesy of Michael’s hysterical backup dancers), for the most part, this movie is exactly what was promised: a look behind the scenes of the concert.

No mention is made of Jackson’s death by any of the subjects interviewed in the film, because all of the interviews took place before June 25th, the day Jackson died. The footage displayed is nothing more than the rehearsal images. No weepy look at his memorial service, no introspective of his career, and best of all, no input from Jackson’s parents or siblings.

What’s interesting about “This Is It” is that it’s clear from the footage that the actual concert really would have been “It.” Jackson was planning a live performance of epic proportions, one that would deserve to go down among his other legendary tours. “This Is It” offers viewers a taste of how an immensely complicated stage show like Jackson’s is put together.

It also demonstrated how involved Jackson was in the molding of the production — he was there to help choose the backup dancers, to work one-on-one with the musicians and to give input on just about everything else. The director of the concert (and the film), Kenny Ortega, never seems to balk at Jackson’s insistence on having so much say, but instead seems to be very excited to be working with an artist that cares so much. Ortega, the director of many concerts and the “High School Musical” film franchise, gave the impression that there are few artists like Jackson who put so much into their live shows.

What was also interesting was Jackson’s backup musicians; each of them have a personal story to tell, and their stock will most definitely be up after their appearance in the film. (Two that stuck out were Judith Hill, the singer who performed with Michael on “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” and the female lead guitarist, Orianthi Panagaris, that tore up “Black and White.”)

Jackson fans really have nothing to be worried about with “This Is It.” Yes, the film’s release is a little bit of a cash-in, but on the other hand, this show was going to be great. It would have been the icing on the cake of his career. The fact that America is getting to see it for the price of a movie ticket instead of the cost of a flight to London and a monstrously expensive concert seat is a nice treat.

And getting to see The King perform one last time is even nicer.