This Is It?

Adoring Michael Jackson with superlatives isn't an overkill. It could hardly even be classified as a prejudiced gesture. A connoisseur could only agree that it is just a germane worship to a virtuoso that changed the pop music landscape and inspired a multitude of wannabees.

Watching "This Is It" is an initiation for me. Though, I've witnessed the King's flawless executions onstage, the documentary unleashes Michael's humanity and vulnerabilities as a pop icon. The audience is transported into the dramas of rehearsal and the raw making of a perfection. Here, we witness Michaels's intelligence as an artist. His suave and full control of the entire spectacle - from the perfect timing of the fireworks, to the minutest element of a bass sound to the handpicking of the dance crew - is a vindication: That he knows his music to a t, after all, isn't an exaggeration.

But the snapshots of Michael's humor was the ultimate icing on the cake. His child-like gestures and naive predilections are mesmerizing to watch. A perfect antithesis of a diva, Michael is quickly apologetic even to his smallest blunders. With such tenderness, I'm still convinced that his child molestation cases went overboard and a total sensational crap.

My friend, Joie, and I agree that Michael's untimely demise was, in fact, a perfect exit. A real icon dies on top of his game not when he becomes a total loser and a complete bore (usually occuring in the latter part of his life). With that, longevity is secured, major fuck-ups stalled.

As the credits of the film rolled, my brother, a big fan of Mr. Jackson and adamant of his belief that the whole shebang is a major hoax, asked me: "This is it?"

Caught unawares, it got me thinking: A film of almost three hours, after all, isn't enough to capture the genius of Michael. But Mr. Ortega, it was a good try!