Wednesday, November 4, 2009

This Is It

A few nights ago we went and saw "Michael Jackson's This Is It" - the behind the scenes footage of what would have been his upcoming return to the stage and 50 sold out concerts in London. And just from the practice footage that we were able to see, what a concert it would have been! Epic performances - the kind that history is made of. But as we all know, Michael tragically died at age 50, just 8 days before those historic concerts were to begin. And so, the reason for the film - to give his family and friends and fans a magical glimpse of who he is, and what would have been.

I felt that the movie was very well done. They didn't make it pathetic or sad. No one was trying to manipulate my emotions, or make more or less of anything. It was what it was - intense practice sessions edited together, mistakes and all. There was a lot of hard work going on among this incredible team of professionals, and some great moments of laughter, love, and prayer. And the highlight of course was Michael. His unbelievable quest for perfection regarding his music and every detail. His astonishing talent with dancing and the way his body moves like he is almost otherworldly. But we've always known that a lot of Michael was otherworldly.

My eyes welled up as soon as the film began. I grew up listening to the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson, I was always enamored by his amazing talent, saddened by his odd life, and heartbroken when he passed away on the brink of something that could have been so great for him and for the world. Such a loss of a tender-hearted, mixed-up, talented musical genius. So watching "This Is It", I enjoyed very much, seeing him interact with his singers and dancers and directors. What did shock me was how thin he was - did no one see this? He wasn't his usual tall, skinny self. He was literally skin and bones - skeletal. His hands and his head actually looked out of proportion to his body. That was frightening to see. His warm smile was genuine however, and he is always such a mixture of little boy, and perfectionist musician, and fierce performer. It's simply incredible to watch. I loved the arrangements of all the songs of course, and his new song about saving the world and loving each other. What I probably loved most was seeing him on stage at age 50, dancing as if he were ageless. That dancing groove ran through every fiber of his body. His dancers were the cream of the crop and probably 30 years younger than him, but he was still out there grooving and moving and showing them what to do. That was awesome. He was still the Dancing Machine. It will be a great way to remember him.

3 comments:

  1. what a nice tribute you wrote to him Meg. I hope to see it someday.
    So true about the dancing fiber in him / that boy could move and bring it home anyday of the week!!!enjoy your day.
    Kelly, NYC:)

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  2. Can't wait to see it! We are from the same era. The Jackson 5 is one of my earliest music memories as a kid.

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  3. I love the way you described Michael Jackson in your post. You really captured what so many of us feel about him. I can't wait to see the film now!

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