Whitney Houston in my opinion, is the greatest voice of all time. She was just incredible. This movie does not do her justice. The casting of Naomi Ackie, she just doesn't feel like Whitney to me, not that she is a bad actress. Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis is incredible, no surprise there,he's always great. The movie also felt rushed, which is odd given its 2 hour 24 minute runtime.
A well done flick, I'd say.
I didn't even know this existed until I was invited a week or two back to go watch it, which is a surprise as I'd imagine a Whitney Houston biopic would've got enough hype that I would've seen it mentioned around the web - perhaps I just happened to miss it? Either way, I'd very much recommend 'Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody'.
I'm no Houston brainiac but of course knew of her top songs and unfortunate personal issues, I feel like the film does a commendable job at covering all aspects - the pacing is top notch, in my opinion. I'd imagine it takes liberties with the truth, as per for this genre, here and there, but that doesn't bother me much if so.
Naomi Ackie is terrific in the lead role, quite the first performance of her's to watch on my part. I hope to see more! The rest of the cast, from Stanley Tucci to Ashton Sanders to Tamara Tunie to Nafessa Williams to Clarke Peters, particularly the latter, are also very good throughout.
I found the run time to be spot on, while the music is - as you'd expect - excellent. Houston sure did make a tonne of hits!
Textbook biopic, with plenty of genre cliches. Tries to mimic Elvis and replicate its earlier success, it does not necessarily manage to achieve it.
I was fairly reluctant to watch this film as I’ve never been a Whitney Houston fan.
However, as a film I was actually impressed, it was beautifully shot and told the story of her life very well.
At a time where all sorts of biopics (and even musical biopics specifically) are coming out left and right, this one likely falls into the category of "are you specifically interested in this topic" to stand out from the crowd. It also goes for a music serious drama tone compared to something like Rocketman which was over the top which made it memorable. It was a good movie, but not likely one I will revisit anytime soon.
Rating: 3/5 - 75% - Worth Watching
I'm so glad Whitney Houston's path to fame was so easy, save for some typical parental arguments and partner disagreements. But even those parental and partner issues seem to have little effect of Houston's state of mind or career. I felt like a just watched a surface-level biopic that has little reason to exist.
Not a bad movie about the legend that is Whitney Houston. It sums up her life, or at least what is usually known about it, quite well. The good and also the bad. Naomi Ackie does a phenomenal job in portraying Whitney‘s mannerism and it‘s mind-boggling that her performance was not recognized more.
Overall I really enjoyed this film.
Question in general... based on this and 'Elvis'... Is it time for us to consider using deep fake faces on these actors now?
This actress is not a close enough resemblance to Whitney to sell it. And the actor in Elvis did not have the right mouth despite doing well with mannerisms...
Small points to those who don't know the original artist but I think it is a critical one. If there was a double of Whitney walking around, she'd be famous already. Same with Elvis. Same with the next icon who gets a formulaic movie made about them... And looking at Primary Wave's name placed prominently on this film's credits, I'd say the hardest casting in the world is ahead of them - Prince.
I'll leave a review of this film separately but I think the only way to get these films to be fully worthwhile might be to allow the use of digital foolery.
A very enjoyable Whitney Houston biopic. Needless to say, the soundtrack was great. I wish it featured more hits from 1985 to 95 when Whitney Houston was at her peak. I was hoping "Star-Spangled Banner" will be featured. I was not disappointed.
Naomi Ackie's portrayal of Whitney was good. But, Whitney Houston was much more beautiful than her. :sob:
The actress doesn't transmit the sweetness and the essence of Whitney :/ lots of important hits missing...
All over the place. Just a mish mash of moments and an excuse to shoehorn all the songs in there. Huge disservice to one of the greatest.
It did justice to Whitney Houston so I would recommend it to anybody that is a fan of her
Shout by PorterUkVIP 5BlockedParent2023-02-18T15:40:31Z
Plenty of issues. But it may bring a new generation to the greatest voice of my lifetime.
The film suffers in a few ways though. The actress chosen isn't beautiful like Whitney was. The whole thing happens inside the bubble and little is conveyed of just how huge a ssuperstar Whitney was. It races through key periods and avoids uncomfortable views - the anorexic drug period, the bloated later years. Her daughter is largely overlooked and the impact Whitney & Bobby's lifestyle had on her, resulting in her premature death.
The use of Whitney's stunning voice is at least done well.
But overall it is a simplistic, formulaic take on an icon. It won't get another pass and it's sad that this is the canonical take.
Tough to say whether this is even worth the extra effort over the Gabrielle Dennis take just a couple of years back...