As you might imagine, there is a major bittersweetness involved while watching Michael Jackson's This Is It.
Consider the entire documentary, which began a limited two week run at Canadian theatres at midnight on Tuesday night, is fascinating behind-the-scenes footage of rehearsals for a concert comeback for Jackson that never happened after his untimely death on June 25 at the age of 50.
As Jackson is prophetically shown saying himself at the March press conference to announce the run of London shows: "This is the final curtain."
So not only do you mourn for the man himself - revealed to be an eccentric, playful, and creative perfectionist in the film, and more importantly still a vital singer and flashy dancer for anyone who had doubts about his health - but for what might have been the next great phase of his career.
Jackson, who hadn't toured in more than a decade, was just eight days away from leaving from L.A. for London and a 50-show run at 02 Arena when he died at his home from a cardiac arrest.
This Is It was culled from 120 hours of footage of Jackson rehearsing at the Staples Centre with show director Kenny Ortega, who also directed the movie, and various choreographers, dancers, the band and filmmakers who shot striking footage to be used in the live show.
Clearly Ortega, who directed the three High School Musical films and choreographed countless other seminal pieces of movie dancing - Matthew Broderick performing Twist and Shout in Ferris Beuller's Day Off and Patrick Swaye's memorable moves in Dirty Dancing - knows how to pace a film filled with so much dancing and singing.
It helps when you have a riveting leading man in the form of Jackson.
Yes, he's freakishly thin and looks odd wearing lipstick, often sunglasses and always long shirts and pants indoors, but the guy had major moves and hits - Wanna Be Starting Something, The Way You Make Me Feel, Bad, Smooth Criminal, I Want You Back, I'll Be There, Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean to name a few included in the film, and a strong nostalgia for those classic songs propels the movie briskly along.
This Is It opens as dancers are auditioning to be part of the show and their admiration and adoration of Jackson moves most of them to tears and they haven't even got the job yet.
From there the film primarily concentrates on various runthroughs of songs pieced together to form one performance by Jackson, sometimes in split screen, both at the Staples Centre and in soundstages.
Often those performances are interrupted as Jackson consults with Ortega, or the band, and those conversations are often the best bits about the film because it allows some insight into the artist and the man.
He sneaks in a smile at one point as the lights go down after one performance he's obviously pleased with, or protests about his earphones - "It's like a fist in my ear," or that he's using his voice too much, when he's just supposed to be warming up.
There's even funny scenes where he's flying over the floor on a cherry picker for the first time and you can hear him go, "Wooooh!" like a little boy, or encouraging Australian female guitarist Orianthi to really let it rip during her solo in Black or White.
"It's time for you to shine," he encourages her while mimicking the high notes he wants her to hit with his own voice.
This Is It is important documentation for no other reason than how many other music greats have we lost too soon and been able to get a major peek at their creative process so soon after they left this mortal coil?
Now depending upon how you feel about Jackson will likely determine whether you want to see the film.
But anyone who's a strict admirer of his musical talent, will want to observe the master - he wasn't called The King Of Pop for nothing - at work.
SUN RATING: 4 out of 5
