Fans of Michael Jackson who want the music and nothing but the music should enjoy this new biopic from 'the producer of Bohemian Rhapsody', Graham King. Especially if they see it in a foot-stomping IMAX or Dolby screen where the rhythms, the vocal yelps and Eddie Van Halen's remarkable guitar solo during Beat It all sound as thrillingly awesome as that glove shines like Liberace's suits.
Anyone looking for deep insights into Jackson's character and alleged improprieties behind the mask will have to wait – this standard career-arc biopic covers so much ground that its metaphorical feet rarely touch the floor. Michael is riddled with credits for members of the Jackson family whose presence inevitably raises questions of probity not answered by the film.
As for how Jackson earned 'King of Pop' status, Charlie Chaplin, Fred Astaire and mime artist Marcelle Marceau are all referenced – as is legendary producer Quincy Jones who went from working with Frank Sinatra and Count Basie to producing Jackson's three seminal albums, Off The Wall (1979), Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987). This 'Q' needs his own film!
After Juliano Valdi's terrific introduction as Michael the boy, nephew Jaafar Jackson (son of the fourth family child turned bass player Jermaine) gives a wondrous, physical performance as the star of many talents. Lip-syncing has rarely looked this convincing.
Unlike Baz Luhrmann's recent found-footage film EPIC, showcasing the mighty Elvis in concert, what Michael doesn't have is the real Jackson. But, taking The Jackson Five and his own solo career into account, it's arguable that Jacko had a better catalogue of songs than Elvis overall – perhaps because many were self-written (another aspect of the story that's rather overlooked). Crucially, the songs were also being recorded when real instruments were still being predominantly used compared with today's programmed hits which too often universally sound as if they've been squeezed through a drainpipe.
Written by John Logan (Gladiator) and directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), there are decent supporting turns from Miles Teller as lawyer John Branca and Mike Myers as CBS Records boss Walter Yetnikoff – the ill-explained Bubbles the chimp feels superfluous in this company. Although Michael ends with the potential promise of another film, for now it's less of a psychologist's dream, more a thriller-lacking reminder of the musical talent we've lost. And, for Jackson's most devoted fans, won't that be sufficient? Watching father and steel mill worker Joe (Colman Jackson) thrashing his future superstar son with a belt is painful enough.
Exit 8 (15, 95 mins) ****
Going to work and back on packed trains only to do the same thing every day is scary, right? But the chances are if that's not your life, it's someone you know. In other words, why do most people prefer ant-like conformity to individualism? To put such an existence into perspective, try this Japanese, psychological horror movie which cracks one of cinema's toughest holy grails – how to not only make an impressive film out of a successful video game premise, but the most critically highly-rated genre movie at that.
'Lost Man' sees a mother with a crying baby being scolded by a man on a train. Then, walking through an anodyne Japanese underground station, he loses phone contact with his ex-girlfriend who has just revealed she is pregnant. Once inside the station's seemingly endless corridors, his directional moves are determined by blank walls and things like posters. There's a constant risk that he will return back to Exit 0, needing to start again. Imagine watching Groundhog Day meets computer game Pacman in a sterile world where corridor floors are shiny grey broken only by a central yellow line for the visually impaired. The walls are multiple rows of white square tiles, like a basic shower – nothing resembles the colourful Victorian and Edwardian tiling which defines London's Underground. And round and round you go with Lost Man trying to find Exit 8.
The film certainly won't be to all tastes, but a combination of slowly-developing story mirroring our own unproductive dog days and a striking sound design always make you wonder what director Genki Kawamura might have around the next corner. Exit 8 will drive some viewers as loopy as the figure of eight itself. But, hopefully, in a way that's as good as the clever poster.
Recently Released Round-Up
Lee Cronin's The Mummy (18, 133 mins) ***
The latest shenanigans with a sarcophagus are blended with strong hints of more adult movies including The Exorcist and Evil Dead franchises. Begins well but ends up with diminishing returns.
Glenrothan (12A, 99 mins) **
Alan Cumming would have been best placed to run the family distillery – but after moving to the US returns to his ailing brother played by actor Brian Cox, debut directing. Undemanding and patchy, but mature audiences will find this very British affair a heartwarming distraction, Scottish scenery 'ads' and all.
Kiss of the Spider Woman (15, 128 mins) **
In this new version of Manuel Puig's 1970s' book that became a film (with Oscar-winning William Hurt) and then a Tony-winning musical, we now have a prison drama housing the retelling of an intercut musical. Jennifer Lopez has three roles and showcases her singing, dancing and acting talents to good effect.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (PG, 98 mins) **
Nintendo's heroic Italian-American plumber is back in a second Super Mario movie in three years. It's colourful and inventive but so hyper that only gamers will be able – or even want – to keep up with it.
The Drama (15, 105 mins) ***
Full marks to the casting agents for pairing ex-Batman Robert Pattinson with Zendaya (aka Ms Spider-Man) in the kind of dark cautionary tale / romantic comedy wedding saga that might once have attracted a young Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. The film explores whether being totally frank about your past life is a good idea when getting married.
Fuze (15, 96 mins) ***
A Sky movie about a bank robbery going on at the same time as experts are called in to diffuse a WWII bomb in London. Tense, but increasingly daft.
Father Mother Sister Brother (15, 111 mins) ****
Linked only by everyday things, director Jim Jarmusch offers three different stories set in different countries about families exploring parent-child relationships. Slow, but engagingly acted by the likes of Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling and Cate Blanchett.
Undertone (15, 94 mins) *
This visually one-sided view of a podcast conversation is like Paranormal Activity (2007) – you'll be there for ages waiting for something to happen. Not good when there isn't a single, genuinely scary moment.
California Schemin' (15, 107 mins) ***
Based on a true story, watch two young Scottish lads pretending to be Americans to try to get noticed as rappers. Samuel Bottomley as Billy 'Silibil' Boyd and Seamus McLean Ross as Gavin 'Brains' Bain are engaging as the double act Silibil & Brains – debut director James McAvoy offers a stark reminder of his own talent on screen, too.
The Magic Faraway Tree (U, 110 mins) ****
This Enid Blyton adaptation features Claire Foy playing Polly Thompson, a newly-jobless electronics engineer now moving to the countryside with husband Tim (Andrew Garfield). Just the kind of live action, very British family film we should all be rooting for with plenty of good jokes and a bit of everything from the Chronicles of Narnia to Lord of the Rings and from The Wizard of Oz to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
They Will Kill You (15, 94 mins) **
Following a very disturbing outdoor shooting, young girls Asia Reeves and sister Maria are split up for years. Asia then rocks up at the Virgil, a New York City high rise where her apparent job as a maid will soon turn into extended female self defence rituals when masked intruders arrive. Once the early Tarantinoesque 1970s' vibe begins to wear exceedingly thin, the action becomes increasingly repetitive.
Project Hail Mary (12A, 156 mins) ****
After playing moon-landing Neil Armstrong in First Man (2018), Ryan Gosling returns to space as science teacher Ryland Grace who wakes up on board a one-way interstellar space mission wondering how he came to be there – not least because his two colleagues have died. When it's hitting the heights, this film directed by Lego Movie pair Phil Lord and Chris Miller is as good as anything we've seen this year – but the fractured script and running time will also wear the patience of some.
Reviews by Graham Young
