Precious is a new-style weepie but one that is much more bracing than depressing
Precious
Theatre
Ian McKellen is captivating throughout. He delights in the play’s gallows humour, yet is also maudlin and poignant
Waiting for Godot
Theatre
Slight quibbles notwithstanding, this will set the West End’s stock riding high
Enron
Utterly, utterly brilliant. You really are in for a treat
Though 'Trilogy' has won rave reviews, I personally found myself exasperated after about an hour
We went on a quiet sunday evening and the food was excellent, but the experience let down by the service and ambiance
London,
David Smyth's rating
Reader rating
Rehearsal: This Is It shows backstage footage of Jacko's tour
This Is It was to be the title of Michael Jackson’s record-breaking 50-night residency at the O2.
It is now the name of a largely panned single, a poor-value hits CD and a film compiled from 100 hours of rehearsal footage which ordinarily would have ended up as a forgotten DVD extras segment.
Gallery: This Is It London premiere
Jackson’s father Joe has claimed the producers used body doubles to make his frail son look more impressive.
Some fans say the film conceals the singer’s poor health to enhance the vast profits expected from its two-week run in cinemas from today. Dame Elizabeth Taylor, bless her, thinks: “It is the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen.”
Gallery: This Is It LA premiere
The London premiere took place at 1am, to run simultaneously with 18 other cities. Bleary celebrities on the red carpet included Spice Girl Mel B, Westlife and Peter Andre.
The film shows Jackson centre stage throughout, always moving, often singing and sometimes looking like he is genuinely enjoying himself.
He requests changes to moves and music, offering suggestions such as: “You gotta let it simmer. Just bathe in the moonlight.” His voice still has sweetness on the ballads but doesn’t sound live on the faster tracks.
The obvious weakness is his weight. He is so thin that when he breaks up a mock fight during Beat It, he looks as if he couldn’t break a KitKat.
Yet these snapshots show him dancing with pace and energy, if not leading his young crew then usually keeping up. There are no new moves, unless you count one that raised a laugh during Human Nature, a penguin-like manoeuvre that may end up being called the Wagglespank.
Nor is there much to suggest that this would have been the spectacular to end all spectaculars. CGI footage of a giant robot made of video screens and a full-size bulldozer for Earth Song look impressive, and there is high quality finished film footage. Yet it does not seem as far ahead of his arena-filling competition as Jackson would surely have liked.
Of course it might have been far greater than this curious collection of half-baked moments suggests. We’ll still never really know. If Jackson’s backers hadn’t needed the cash, our imaginations might have done a better job of filling in the blanks.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
How can anyone aggrandise a man who was (being allowed to evade mental health laws and use adult rights for his abusing + abusable child like mind eg allowing control of his own medication resulting in) drug abusing/addiction to the point of walking dead as seen here and enjoy/praise the performances of such a thoroughly sick man - imagine the the backlash he would receive from the majority of ticket holders if he hadn't of died NO WAY could he have been cleaned in an addiction clinic in time for the London dates :o !
- Pete Doherty, Head Addicton UK
Morning:
3°c
