The trouble with Antoine Fuqua's "Michael" is that the subject is too famous and the audience is too well informed. If they made this kind of uplifting, all highlights biopic about a musical star of less renown, it probably would have come across better. Antione Fuqua does a fantastic job of recreating the hype and the excitement of Michael Jackson's incredible rise to the top of the charts. Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, certainly looks the part of the '70s and '80s Michael Jackson and handles all the singing and dancing flawlessly. If all you want out of this movie is to relive the most fun and triumphant parts of Michael Jackson fandom with all these big budget re-enactments of his most famous performances, this is the movie for you.
As a biopic, however, there's a lot to be desired. "Michael" posits that the biggest difficulty Michael Jackson had to overcome was wresting away control of his own destiny from his abusive father Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo). Creatively, he seems to have no difficulties whatsoever, from his early days as a child prodigy, portrayed by Juliano Valdi, to the writer and performer of "Thriller," "Billy Jean," and "Beat It." He's constantly referred to as a generational talent destined for greatness by everyone around him. As "Michael" was made with the heavy involvement of the Jackson family, there's also the familiar characterization of Michael as a lonely kid who never grew up, collecting pets, watching cartoons, and daydreaming about "Peter Pan" well into adulthood. The film cuts off in 1988 with the first solo tour, and there's no mention of the well-documented abuse allegations that would mar the rest of Jackson's career.
From the news of the production troubles around the film, it's clear that Fuqua tried to address some of the later parts of Jackson's life, but was stymied by legal issues. As a result, "Michael" feels incomplete, if not outright evasive. However, the portrayal of Michael Jackson is still fundamentally unsatisfying in the parts of the biopic that remain. Jaafar Jackson's acting abilities are mediocre but serviceable. The larger problem is that Michael is written as totally opaque, a bland extension of the public persona we all knew instead of a full human being. Any signs of complexity or dysfunctions are acknowledged only for the purpose of being forgiven, minimized, or explained away as mere eccentricities. The last twenty minutes of the film are given over to recreations of Jackson's stage performances, similar to the end of "Bohemian Rhapsody," but in context they feel like Fuqua simply giving up on the narrative, and playing the hits.
A far more interesting and rewarding film comes from writer/director Alesha Harris in her feature debut. "Is God Is" is a revenge film, one that looks like a "Kill Bill" style exploitation flick at first glance. Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) were left burned and scarred after the Man, their father, set their mother (Vivica A Fox) on fire when they were children. All of them somehow survived. Long estranged, but now on her deathbed, the mother summons her two grown daughters and charges them with a mission to hunt down and kill the Man who hurt and abandoned them, and to bring ruin to everyone around him. On their journey, Racine and Anaia encounter the Man's other children, partners, and associates, who have all been damaged in one way or another by his evil. Other members of the impressive cast include Janelle Monae, Erika Alexander, Mykelti Williamson, Sterling K. Brown, Justen Ross, and Xavier Mills.
Revenge is a hard thing in "Is God Is." It is inherently destructive and violent, which is difficult for Anaia because she isn't a violent person. She's the quieter, more reserved twin, whose terrible scars mar her face. However, she is deeply connected with her more beautiful twin Racine, the fiercely aggressive and protective sister, who has no such qualms. And as we learn more about the Man and his trail of evil deeds, whose legacy to his children is violence. It's clear that more violence may be the only thing that can stop him. Anaia's journey is one of empowerment, loss of innocence, and self acceptance. Eventually she chooses violence too, but never becomes inured to it. In "Is God Is" violence is always brutal, and the consequences are ugly. Racine's weapon of choice is a rock in a sock, which she uses to bludgeon her unfortunate targets to a bloody pulp. It becomes emblematic of the film's attitude toward hate and revenge - a heavy, blunt, smashing force that can so easily be turned back against those who wield it.
While the film is about hate, it's also about love. It's about women connected through common blood, culture, language, and trauma. Racine and Anaia look and sound like no other cinematic characters I've ever seen, with their blond dreadlocks, their heavy scars, and their sharply stylized dialogue. They're so close, they often address each other simply as "Twin," and sometimes don't need to speak at all to communicate. Their wordless exchanges are helpfully captioned for us. But in spite of their closeness, Racine and Anaia's relationship is often rocky, and their disagreements can be vehement, even explosive. And "Is God Is" looks like no other film this year. The frames are bright with purposeful color, and the landscapes bake under the midwestern sun. The editing is exacting but playful, reflecting characters who are full of irrepressible life and emotion. Everything here feels so alive, pulsing and vibrant. Everything demands your attention, and I couldn't look away.
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