Actor Michael Madsen’s best-known roles are from “Reservoir Dogs,” “Kill Bill” and “Donnie Brasco.” Just what kind of character do you think he’d play in a Justin Bieber music video?
That’s right, in “As Long as You Love Me,” Bieber gets roughed up by Madsen, who plays his video girlfriend’s ultra-intimidating father, who appropriately dons a lot of gold rings, smokes cigars and beats the living snot out of the love-sick 18-year-old.
“I love her,” JB tells Daddy Fearest at the beginning of the clip.
“Sure you do…”
“… you don’t know us.”
“I don’t want to.”
Without the father’s permission to go out with his daughter, the star devises a train station meetup. However, she’s forcibly holed up in one of the palace spires, so Biebs breaks her out, they’re blocked by dad and a fight ensues. Bieber even gets to do one of those scenes where he’s on all fours on the ground and spitting out blood.
In between are a few ill-placed elements, like Big Sean’s cameo (which on tape has always been ill-place) and a quick-shot dance break in the underground. Also: payphones. How quaint.
Still, there’s plenty of shiny cinematic cushioning on the sides of theses, with sunlit bedtime embraces. Selena Gomez isn’t in the vid, but her spirit is there, y’know?
Bieber is going for the Gold Medal in Crying While Singing (wait, those are called Oscars, right?) in “As Long As You Love Me,” a far cry from his Karate Kid “Never Say Never” stint with Will Smith’s spawn. Marching toward his 20s, it’s important to grow in the maturity of material with his visuals, despite the elementary nature of this particular composition. However, some parents may find “As Long As You Love Me” a too violent for their little princesses.
“But dad,” they’ll say, “I love him.”
“As Long as You Love Me” is off of Bieber’s chart-topping album “Believe.”