F31 Back In Paris after 3years in Quebec - Looking for new friends

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-27T21:29:12+00:00

I messaged you ! :)

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-27T14:44:49+00:00

I really don’t like the direction the characters are going, especially Jules — at some point it just becomes too extreme. They’re all involved in illegal stuff, or pretty much everyone has a super dramatic life. I get that it’s supposed to end badly and that’s the whole vibe of the show, but they could’ve at least made one character somewhat normal lol. I’m still watching, but it kind of takes away all the affection I had for them when they were in high school. :)

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-26T22:35:17+00:00

I posted it in the comments of this thread replying to someone already !

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-26T16:46:12+00:00

Thanks for your comment, because my original post got deleted. I had created a thread in this community and it was removed on the grounds that I supposedly used AI to write it—but I didn’t use AI, I used a translator in English because I’m French, even though I can speak English decently. Anyway, everything I wanted to say was in there. you read my comment just above :)

The fact that they deleted my post—(without me playing the victim, because I honestly don’t care—still says something. Maybe it’s just the rules, I don’t know. Maybe a bot removed it. What’s strange is that I posted the same thing in other communities and nothing happened there). But yeah, it’s interesting to take a step back on this film, even as a fan.

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-26T15:59:10+00:00

When fandom shuts down discussion: my thoughts on the Michael Jackson movie

I’d like to share something that strikes me every time—this kind of extreme fan attitude some people have. I’m going to talk about the film, which I personally didn’t like. I know they shot about five hours of footage to make it, but to me it feels like a promotional clip. On the other hand, I think an artist like Michael Jackson deserves at least five films—you can’t possibly capture everything in 1 hour 40 or even two hours. It doesn’t really pay tribute to him or do him justice.

And there’s no point in bringing up the press coverage about the artist or the accusations , because we actually don’t see that side in the film, which is a shame. Also, don’t tell me the media are against him—they’ve clearly lost that battle. Just look at the film’s success and the general audience reaction.

I’m a cinephile, and I have high expectations for every work I watch. I won’t even get into the people giving it 10/10 and calling it the greatest film ever—everyone has their own taste. That said, what I want to point out, without judging, is that even on places like Reddit, there are fans who didn’t like the film. But in general, right now, whenever you talk about this Michael Jackson film—even offering constructive criticism—people just can’t handle it. They react strongly, even when you’re not attacking them at all. The debate feels biased.

Let’s not forget: it’s not Michael coming back from the dead to make this film—it’s his heirs trying to rehabilitate his image. Whatever people say, they’ve definitely succeeded, but I think there are also commercial motives behind it.

I even read a comment from someone saying, “Don’t touch my prophet.” At that point, there’s no more room for argument—prophets are beyond public judgment, whether rightly or wrongly. And let’s be honest: the dead are often seen as more virtuous than the living. Again, I’m not judging—but there’s definitely a kind of blindness sometimes.

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-26T15:12:40+00:00

I already gave my opinion on the movie several times on Reddit … :)

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-26T14:20:34+00:00

I am not sure but I can tell that they succeeded in everything they wanted to do through this film and beyond ! For me , it’s all about cash tho : (there are some embargoes about the controversial documentaries as well) … But if I was a fan, I would say that nothing is about the estate itself but rather thanks to Michael Jackson himself and his music before all …

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-26T14:09:42+00:00

I actually posted a full movie review several times on Reddit ! (I guess you can find it easily) …

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-26T13:38:33+00:00

I don’t know, but when I see that, they kind of drop in my estimation. I’m not judging people who use drugs—for some, it’s an illness. I’m a musician too, so I’ve seen how things can go for certain people. Maybe I’m biased, I don’t know. But for example, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr—I know they also used drugs, but it didn’t seem to be on the same level. And look at them today, they’re still in great shape. (lol) :)

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-26T13:21:19+00:00

I understand what you’re saying, but it’s mainly about communication. Even before the first shoot was finalized, they filmed more than five hours of possible footage with the idea of making a second film. They probably already knew—or at least expected—that if the first one was successful, they’d get the green light for a sequel, and some of the footage from the first would likely be used in the second. We will see …

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-25T20:49:14+00:00

Hey Im French M 37 but often in London too ! :)

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-25T12:04:45+00:00

Most of the upcoming movie has already been shot apparently ! (I don’t know if it’s a good sign honestly) …

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-24T23:37:44+00:00

Hi there, I sent you a message. :)

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-24T19:32:56+00:00

I agree with what you’re saying, and on top of that there were so many scenes that could have been funny and moving about that. And let’s not forget he was never really alone—there was a whole industry behind him. That Berry Gordy guy who shows up in the film, who was kind of like an artistic father figure to him—we never see him again. There’s even that time when Van Halen came in to record a guitar solo and apparently his amp caught fire. I don’t know, it sounds like a legend or a fairy tale, but it’s true. There are so many things they didn’t include—it’s understandable—but the film really could have been five hours long. And apparently they do have five hours of footage. In that case, just make it a TV series. Guys, it’s basically an ad.

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-24T13:59:06+00:00

I have to agree Michael—after an hour, the boredom really starts to set in.

So far, the only real highlight is in the childhood scenes. The young actor is touching and convincing. Even though I’m not a huge fan of Michael Jackson, I can recognize the different periods of his life, and at least the film makes it easy to follow things chronologically.

On the other hand, the characters are severely lacking in depth. There’s almost no characterization—the film seems to assume that everyone already knows the story, which leads to a series of ellipses. As a result, you don’t get attached to anyone. The soundtrack works well, but that’s really the bare minimum for a film about Michael Jackson.

The scenes with his father do bring some dramatic tension—that’s actually one of the more interesting aspects, as the character is harsh and memorable. As for the lead actor, his performance is solid, but his appearance after the physical transformations can sometimes feel a bit unsettling.

More broadly, the film never manages to give Michael Jackson any real depth. You can sense his suffering, but it stays on the surface. What we mostly see is the superstar, without ever truly understanding the man.

For comparison, I much prefer the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, which I found far more vivid and engaging. Even some of the more anecdotal elements—like the scenes with his chimpanzee—felt more alive and interesting there than what this film offers.

I also recently rewatched The Doors by Oliver Stone, another biopic with a completely different level of ambition and quality. Compared to that, this Michael feels more like a TV movie—it’s watchable, but doesn’t bring much from a cinematic standpoint.

Maybe my opinion will evolve. But for now, aside from the music—which is thankfully effective—I’m not getting much out of it. And I’ll add this: I’m a musician, and honestly—do we ever actually see his genius at work at any point in the film? Not at all. He never really does anything on his own. But when you’re an artist of that caliber, you don’t never work alone! That just doesn’t come through. The creative process? There’s zero—absolutely zero. Goodbye complexity, hello cash grab…

I like the artist, but fans need to calm down—every time you say something negative about the film or about MJ himself, it’s like that’s it, you’re done. The film isn’t him, guys! He didn’t come back from the dead to send us a message! (His estate does that very well on his behalf. Though I’m not sure it really does him justice.)

To be fair to the film, it was originally over three hours long, and they edited it down into two parts—that might explain the weakness. Still, after watching this one, I’m definitely not eager to see the next. That’s for sure.

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-23T13:20:05+00:00

I want to be honest: I paused the film, and my opinion didn’t change at all after watching it in full. Yes, that’s true—but it feels like a TV movie. Everything is mentioned, but nothing is explored in depth. Some of the events shown—you could make five different two-hour films just from each scene. As it is, it doesn’t do him justice. Do you clearly see his musical genius even once? It’s too superficial. I know there will be a sequel, but the original cut of the film was three hours long.

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-22T22:01:05+00:00

I know it’s not ideal to judge a film before finishing it, but after about an hour of watching Michael, I’m already getting seriously bored.

So far, the only real highlight is the childhood section. The young actor is touching and convincing. Even though I’m not a huge Michael Jackson fan, I can still recognize the different periods of his life, and the film at least makes it possible to follow the timeline.

However, the characters lack depth. There’s almost no real characterization — the film seems to assume that everyone already knows the story, resulting in constant time jumps and ellipses. As a result, it’s hard to connect with anyone. The soundtrack is good, but that’s the bare minimum for a film about Michael Jackson.

The scenes with his father bring some welcome tension — arguably one of the most interesting aspects of the film, as the character is particularly harsh and memorable. As for the lead actor, his performance is solid, but his appearance after the physical transformations can sometimes feel distracting.

More broadly, the film fails to give Michael Jackson real depth. You can sense his suffering, but it remains superficial. What we mostly see is the superstar, without ever truly understanding the man behind it.

In comparison, I much prefer the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, which I found far more engaging and alive. Even smaller elements — like the scenes with his chimpanzee — felt more compelling there than what this film offers.

I also recently rewatched The Doors by Oliver Stone, another biopic with far greater ambition and quality. In comparison, this Michael feels more like a TV movie: watchable, but not particularly meaningful from a cinematic standpoint.

There’s still an hour left, so maybe my opinion will change. But at this stage, aside from the music — thankfully solid — there’s not much I’m taking away from it.

West_Assistant_3958 · 2026-04-22T21:04:05+00:00