At one point in the early 1990s, it could be argued that Janet Jackson was the most famous woman on earth, or certainly in the top five. There are a great number of people who would like to tell you that’s entirely down to nepotism – and record labels wanting a piece of the action after her brother went and sold 45m copies of one album.
Over the course of three hours, what ‘Janet Jackson.’ does is illustrate why that isn’t the case – after all, as talented as that whole family is, none of the other siblings achieved anywhere near the level of fame that Michael and Janet did.
Tracing her story from early years spent in the tiny family home in Gary, Indiana through to the sudden and meteoric rise to fame and wealth in sunny LA, the film doesn’t shy away from the adversity that the Jacksons faced as newly minted Black millionaires. And for sure, they had massive houses with swimming pools and a Vegas residency, and all the mod cons they could ever wish for, but Janet in particular seemed to lead a life in which the world tried to make her pay for this in the hardest possible way.
Alongside some of her siblings, and her regular collaborators like Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Paula Abdul, the film charts Janet’s attempts to break away from her controlling father and later, stay afloat while her lovelife became increasingly complex and painful. The music does at times almost take a backseat to her hardships (albums post The Velvet Rope are barely discussed), but what it does do so well is reframe Jackson’s narrative not as “Michael’s little sister”, but as a powerful and vibrant Black Woman who became a beacon of hope for so many young girls (and boys).
There’s a level of intimacy that the filmmakers managed to coax out of Janet over the course of five years that mean no subject is off-limits – though again, the film perhaps unintentionally shies away from the lesbian themes and S&M undertones of The Velvet Rope, stopping short of declaring Janet a queer icon or even a powerful ally. Yet the openness in which she discusses rumours of a hidden child, her longing for motherhood, the difficulties of marrying men battling addictions and of course, the scandals surrounding Michael Jackson is refreshing to engage with, and throughout it all Janet comes across as down to earth as a multi-multi-multi-millionaire can be.
“Janet Jackson.” therefore acts as a wonderful introduction to the work of Ms Jackson, and a timely reminder of just why we should treasure her for those of us who’ve been along for the ride. This really is a story about control – her control, and it’s so good to be reminded that she’s still very much on top of it.
Janet Jackson. is streaming now.
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