George Michael had a complex personality and possessed a talent few people are capable of capturing.
It is only when you look back at his work that you can truly appreciate how prophetic he was.
Simon Napier-Bell gives an overview on Michael’s life and career through the interviews with friends, musicians, and presenters. Michael also speaks about his own experiences in various interviews and tv shows.
The documentary is excellent at establishing the timeline from Wham’s arrival in the UK to Michael’s death, but there are a lot of strange psychologists, musicologists, and presenters, like Piers Morgan, who get a great deal of screen time despite their lack of relationship with Michael.
The documentary is made to seem very impersonal. It would have been better to have more segments dedicated to people who had a greater involvement in Michael’s personal life during a certain time period, rather than to a psychiatrist who did not have any connection to him and waxed philosophically about Michael’s inner darkness.
Conversations with producers, musicians on tour, directors of music videos, fellow artists, and friends provide a well-rounded look at Michael’s motivation and exploration through music, including his sexuality. But when the film veers into interviews where the connection to Michael is not clear, one begins to question their involvement in the document.
It’s odd that he doesn’t examine his relationship with certain people who are incredibly significant in his life.
The fallout with Wham is only mentioned once or twice, but those closest to him are not allowed to delve into it. Andrew Ridgeley is not given as much screentime, and neither was Michael’s long-term partner, Fadi Fawaz.
It seems that this is a major oversight, especially since Fawaz was mentioned in an unnamed way as being a negative influence by the director at the end (he did some horrible things after Michael died with his estate and will). This is a missed opportunity by director Napier Bell to show how these relationships impacted Michael’s personal and professional trajectory. I wish that they had been explored more.
George Michael : Portrait of an Artist, despite some problems, manages to showcase Michael’s talents and his story in a manner that will be enjoyed by fans. It is worth watching.
The documentary is a good starting point for those who are interested in Michael’s story but were not as intrigued before watching the film. The viewers should be aware of the fact that Michael’s life story is much more complex than what is presented in this film (Andrew Ridgeley’s book, Wham! George Michael and me: A memoir goes deeper into the relationship than this documentary. The film is a love story for Michael, despite some oversimplifications. It pushes the narrative and drives home the theme that genius can be a two-edged sword, attracting the worst and best in people.
We all know that people like George Michael are fascinating.