Whitney Houston. Everyone and their dog has heard of a song by this enigmatic lass. The only artist to garner seven consecutive US number one singles and release the best selling single for a female artist of all time. She has broken more records than a lunatic swinging a bat at a jukebox. Yet, with such early fame, her later life was marred with scandals, tainted by drug accessibility and succumbed to an inevitable tragedy. Macdonald's documentary depicts the chaotic world that stardom introduces whilst also retaining a sense of family. Interviews with family members, close friends and colleagues allows a personable quality to shine through this deeply tragic documentary. Tackling broad subject matters of racial segregation and activism during the 80s, the impact of recreational drug usage and never before seen allegations of sexual abuse at a young age. Suffice to say, Houston suffered personal struggles and this film primarily hones in on her downfall. Still retaining her angelic persona, the documentary insinuates that it was her external environment that corrupted her. Similarly to Kapadia's documentary 'Amy', it portrays fame as a disease where young stars are more susceptible to its negativity. The relentless second half drains you on an emotional level as you empathically watch this beautiful talent degrade, especially the phone recording of her 'Nothing But Love' comeback tour. It's not all doom and gloom, the first third does feel hearty and establishes a blossoming strong family bond as we nostalgically glance back at various high points in her short life. 'The Bodyguard', her interpretation of "The Star Spangled Banner" and her numerous number one singles. Alas, you can't help but feel that this overstuffed documentary focuses too much on her ruination. Contaminating a beautiful soul. It's an eye-opening perspective for fans and fledglings (I was the latter) that both informs and occasionally succumbs to emotional exploitation. Powerfully charged nonetheless.
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Bertaut12 July 2018I wasn't a huge fan of Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal's Whitney: Can I Be Me (2017). The film was built on the foundation of never-before-seen backstage footage from Houston's World Tour 1999, but I felt the narrative was poorly constructed, jumping from her divorce from Bobby Brown in 2007 to her death in 2012 with very little detail on what happened in those five years. This had the effect of making the last part of the documentary feel rushed and incomplete. I went into it not knowing a huge amount about Whitney Houston (apart from the obvious bits and pieces that everyone knows), and I came out still not knowing a huge amount about her.
Written and directed by Kevin Macdonald, Whitney covers almost identical terrain as Broomfield and Dolezal, with many of the same interviewees appearing in both films, and much of the same factual information presenting itself (Houston tried drugs long before becoming a celebrity; she was criticised as "acting white" and selling out her culture by many black people, and was booed at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards (where her single "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was nominated for Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Single - Female"); she was hounded with questions regarding her sexuality for much of her life, etc). One hugely important absence from both films, of course, is Robyn Crawford, Whitney's one time best friend, road manager, and probable lover, who was pretty much the only person in Houston's life who seemed to tell her what was really what, as opposed to what she wanted to hear, and have Houston's best interests at heart. Apart from a beautiful obituary for Esquire (on whose editorial staff Crawford's wife works), Crawford has maintained a dignified silence since Houston died, and neither Broomfield and Dolezal nor Macdonald were able to persuade her to speak on camera. This leaves a sizeable lacuna in the narratives of both films, as it is fairly unlikely anyone will really get to the core of who Houston was until (or indeed if) Crawford decides to tell her own story. As a side note, one interesting figure who didn't appear in Can I Be Me, but who does unexpectedly pop up in Whitney is Clive Davis, president of Arista Records, and the man who signed Houston to her first record deal.
For all their similarities, however, I found Macdonald's film superior to Can I Be Me. Whitney has two major, and interconnected, advantages over the earlier film. Can I Be Me is more concerned with facts, and probably covers more "Did you know" moments, such as the idea to open "I Will Always Love You" capella style was actually Kevin Costner's. However, having said that, Macdonald does manage to squeeze in a couple of not especially well known moments of his own; for example, Houston's haunting rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl (where she had her bandleader and arranger Rickey Minor take the radical step of altering the time signature from a 3/4 to a 4/4) was completely unrehearsed, and the revelations regarding Dee Dee Warwick are shocking to say the least. However, what Macdonald does much better than Broomfield and Dolezal is that, on several occasions, he takes time out from the narrative to simply let the audience hear her sing. Probably because of this, his film is considerably more emotive. I was very moved by it on a couple of occasions; I don't remember being moved by Can I Be Me at all. One scene in particular I found very upsetting recalls that horrific scene in Amy (2015) where Amy Winehouse is performing in Serbia a month before she died. In Whitney, it's footage from her Nothing But Love World Tour 2010, as she tries and completely fails to sing "I Will Always Love You" in Newcastle. The crowd is respectful enough, but given that so much of the documentary is simply about her voice, seeing her like this is very sad, as with her hoarse voice, she can barely stay in tune, let alone hit the high notes, sounding more like someone doing a bad karaoke rendition than one of the greatest singers of all time.
Another very well handled part of the documentary's narrative is its coverage of what could be termed "mainstream media complicity" in her suffering. Look, Whitney Houston was a drug addict and a terrible mother, who was indirectly responsible for Bobbi Kristina Brown's death, insofar as she gave her child no stability, and introduced her to a world of substance abuse. Nobody is arguing anything different. But she was also a person, suffering deeply, in public, and very few people did, or even tried to do, anything to help her. The film presents a 2002 sketch from Saturday Night Live (1975) with Maya Rudolph as Whitney, in which she addresses the infamous Diane Sawyer "crack is whack" interview, and a scene from a 2005 episode of American Dad! (2005), in which an emaciated Whitney "sings for crack" in the Smith living-room. These clips were probably funny at the time, but aren't especially funny now, and they serve to highlight one of the most bizarre paradoxes of our celebrity obsessed society; we love to build people up and up and up, but, at some arbitrary point in time, we decide they've become too popular, too successful, too talented, so we do anything to pull them down, and when something goes wrong in their lives, really catastrophically wrong, our response as a society is not empathy, kindness, or understanding, but scorn, derision, and sarcasm. What a strange world we've made. -
view_and_review11 July 2018Whitney is a documentary about the beautiful and immensely talented Whitney Houston. I don't think I've seen a documentary yet that I thought was bad. The goal of a documentary is to bring forth information about a person, place, time, or otherwise that you may not have known. That was definitely achieved in this documentary however speculative some of the things may have been.
I knew the inevitable ending of this documentary yet I still wasn't prepared. In fact, her death was made even more gut-wrenching after watching an hour of her tremendous ascendancy and another 50 minutes of her downward spiral. And this documentary was especially impactful to me because Whitney Houston was a staple in my house as a kid; it was her, Prince and Michael Jackson, then a little later it was George Michael... now all four are gone.
Watching this documentary you will be swelled with emotions as you listen to her amazing pipes as she was tearing up the charts in the 80's. Her voice brings chills and goosebumps it's so incomparable. And from that emotional high you really get dragged down to a supreme low as she is reduced to attempting a comeback tour in the 2000's and her voice is not even a fragment of what it once was; and there would be no comeback, only a passing away. We couldn't even witness a one last hurrah from this singing legend and that was probably the saddest thing of all.
I don't even know if I could recommend this documentary because it weighs so heavily upon the heart. You absolutely have to emotionally prepare yourself for this. If you think you can brave this documentary then by all means watch it. I only wish that her life ended differently. -
statuskuo15 July 2018There was a time in American history where every American regardless of race of religion could agree on what good music was. And that was Whitney Houston. A force of music that I am thankful I was of age to fully appreciate.
She was a feel good pop force unleashed in the early 80's and tragically passed in 2012. There is nothing about this movie that tells you anything new that you couldn't have read in some tabloid. Or Wikipedia. But, this is just so entertaining. The same theory I hold for stupid movies like "Pitch Perfect" that ride the coattails of catchy pop from bygone era, Whitney's tune are super addictive. And curiously, none of which she had written herself. She was a singer. Not a musician. Thru her early days as a gospel singer under the watchful eye of former Aretha Franklin back up singer Cissy Houston, I learned a few new details I never researched back in the day. For instance, it's implied her father John Houston was a questionable New Jersey government employee. Let's say corrupt. Nothing new for Jersey. And that her shot to stardom was so fast, she barely had time to digest her popularity. It's never seen that she appreciated her fans, if not for one sentence...in the entire 2 hours 20 minute expose. The movie isn't...it's pretty superficial but really entertaining. I suspect this was purposefully done by director Kevin MacDonald. The typical tropes are here. "She was fighting her demons" "she trusted the wrong people" What isn't known...despite how much recorded conversation with her, is her own turmoil. You learn so much less about the true pain that haunted her. Only to see that it is rooted in her childhood (nothing new). Or her relationships with her closest family or friends who all seem to point fingers at one another. Even more curious is an appearance by ex-husband Bobby Brown who squashes any real insight into Whitney's real hard drug or alcohol binges. You hate the bloated idiot now, but...there have been many accounts, he may have been more like everyone else who held onto the fame of Whitney.
Blessed with an amazing voice, some are gifted beyond this world. And as her career and life gets yanked from her, it's hard to know when she ever appreciated life. It leaves one with an awful empty feeling, probably the same as Whitney's full life. The cautionary tale you take from this...isn't really effective. It's hard when all we see is natural talent. Born talents don't seem as earned. Perhaps that's how she felt. Also, I find it uneasy that one of the producers on it also happened to be her former film agent (Nicole David). Seems even in death, people still wonder what they can bleed from her. You also wonder what may have happened had she lived into her 50's. Would she come to terms with her dark past? I'm not sure the makers of this believed she would. -
greggs_nbacon17 September 2018This has been a hard week for women in the entertainment field. On July 23rd, it was the seven-year anniversary of Amy Winehouse passing. The days after that, Demi Lovato was rushed to the hospital from a suspected overdose. Between the field of psychiatric care that I work in and my personal experience with addiction, it was an overwhelming week. The thing that put me over the edge was this documentary Whitney, which chronicled the life of Whitney Houston.
Whitney shows Houston's upbringing as unproblematic. Between her mother Cissy, who was a backup singer for musical legends such as Elvis and Aretha Franklin, and her cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, it was almost predetermined that Houston was going to be a huge singer. Yet the world nor Whitney was prepared for the type of rush that would bring her to superstardom. The film is smart in how it depicts Houston through interviews with her family, friends, and whatever the hell Bobby Brown is.
The documentary does a brilliant job of telling the story in a way most documentaries wouldn't dare to do: in a non-linear fashion. Documentaries are supposed to present facts in a way where you are persuaded to understand the filmmaker's point of view. What Whitney will do is present the facts, but then backtrack and change the facts as the story will go along. To most amateur film viewers, this might seems confusing. But this is a flawless dive into the real psyche of Houston, with all of her virtues and vices. Kevin MacDonald does this in a way that makes the viewer empathize with Houston as she struggles to make it in the world, even with the world at her feet. I have seen over 1,500 movies in my life and only cried in 29. Well, this film made an even 30. It is a beautiful film that proved that the world was robbed of a great talent when Houston died tragically at the age of 48. The only flaw is the film's running time, which is a girthy two hours. Whitney is in select theatres, but if you miss it, catch it in any way you can. This is one of my must-see films of the year that few will see, even after I published my previous list earlier in the week.
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"Whitney" (2018 release; 120 min.) is a bio-documentary about the life and times of singer Whitney Houston. As the movie opens, we see news clips as her 1985 debut album is storming the charts and making her a mega-star. We then go back to Whitney's humble upbringing in Newark, NJ, and get to know her parents (remember that her mom Cissy Houston was a singer in her own right), and her 2 brothers. Music played a major role in Whitney's life from early on, particularly attending the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. Her mom did not go easy on Whitney, simply wanting to prepare her for "legacy music", and when Whitney turns 18, she moves out. At this point we're 10 min. into the movie, and you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from Scottish writer-director Kevin Macdonald, who's made several other music documentaries including "Marley" (on Bob Marley) and "Being Mick" (that would be Jagger). Here he brings, with full cooperation of the Houston estate, the life and times of amazing singer Whitney Houston. Because he has full access to footage, we get to see a number of home clips previously unseen (and at times very revealing). Macdonald interviews many people who knew Whitney well or were close to her (as, say, bodyguard). Comments someone: "A lot of people around her saw her like an ATM", wow. Yes, even no-good Bobby Brown gets screen time. When asked to comment on Whitney's drug use in the last years of her life, Brown, without the least of irony or regret, responds "I'm not answering that. Drugs have nothing to do with this documentary". Nice one! In fact the last hour of the documentary detail the sad (and drug-fueled) decline of Whitney. Some of those scenes are heartbreaking, frankly. The parallels between this documentary and the "Amy" documentary a few years ago on Amy Winehouse are pretty obvious: the use of the singer's first name for the documentary's title, the questionable role of the respective dads, the respective "bad" boyfriend/husband, the cringe-inducing last tour (for Whitney in 2009), etc. etc. "Whitney" is strong documentary, no question, but in my view "Amy" was a tad better (perhaps because I like Amy's music better). The talent that Whitney had was undeniable (that voice!), even though some of those 80s songs have not aged well. But the waste of that talent makes the passing of Whitney only sadder.
"Whitney" premiered at this year's Cannes film festival to great buzz, and opened this weekend in 4 or 5 screens in Greater Cincinnati. The Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended nicely (and primarily by African-Americans I might add). If you are a fan of Whitney Houston, or music history in general, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion. -
BJG-Reviews8 January 2019The stage curtains open ...
I remember one time, I was about 18 years old, still living at home - my family and I were watching a live performance on television of a new sensation singing "The Greatest Love Of All". I was blown away - me ... a kid who primarily listened to rock and metal music, was completely enamored with the magic of what was Whitney Houston. My Dad made the comment that he didn't like her. My Mom agreed. They thought she sang too loud and they didn't like singers with vocals that could blow you out of the room. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My brother wasn't really paying attention, and my sister was too young to appreciate it. I never understood how my parents weren't able to recognize what was the best voice of my generation. Perhaps of all-time. But, I saw it. Me - a rocker, a headbanger. I saw Whitney for what she was. I felt like I was the only one in the whole world that night, that she was singing only to me. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. That is the effect Whitney Houston had on me. The day she died, I cried.
This documentary was very well made. It was insightful, deep and told with compassion by those who knew her best and loved her the most. Taking us on her life's journey from the influence of her mother, aunt and other family members - from singing gospel in church and signing a record deal with Arista. Her success and fame, the accolades she received - then through the troubled times, her rocky marriage, drug abuse and finally her tragic death. I re-lived my own youth when I saw her early performances. She reached my heart yet again, although this time it was much more somber and sad.
I deeply appreciated this film and will watch it again. It captures the essence of Whitney, of who she really was - and the Whitney I always envisioned as a young man growing up. She was beautiful then, she still is now ... she always will be. One of our greatest losses. -
russell202511 November 2019Great exposé of this talented woman dealing with her career and addiction. Had no idea what she's been through.
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degaswilson18 July 2018I am one of the lucky few, who got to meet this amazing women.
I met him one cold day back in the early part of her career.
She was doing a video for her first album and I and a couple of my friends where filming for a show, if you remember, Spencer for Hire, we were filming a night club scene, whereas we were the dancers in the club. I and the other dancers were on a lunch break and we were in the cafeteria eating. All of sudden, this little thing walked in with all of these colors on and sat down to eat.
Evidentially, it was Whitney Houston here filming her video "I want to dance with somebody". You know with all of the hair and the color. Well, there were about 6 of us at the table and no one was brave enough to talk to her, with the exception of me, of course. I was always the loudest and bravest out of the group. Anyway, I went up to her table and said would she mind some company (since she was alone, eating), she said sure, and I motion to the rest of the crew to come over. She was shocked, but got over it pretty quick when she found out we were filming next door and for what show.
I tell you, that was the best lunch I ever had. We spent about an hour with her, just laughing and having the best time. Until we were called to the stage and had to say goodbye.
That young women was the same person I saw every time she walked out on stage. Beautiful, polished and humble.
I tell you what, the day she died.........I cried like I cried when I lost my mother......
The pain will always be there......But whenever I hear her voice on the radio, I smile and remember that little woman I saw that day in the cafeteria.
She was something else. And I will truly miss her. -
Quinoa198417 July 2018Just kidding!
This is quite good, better than your average Behind the Music episode due to the access to the interviewees and how much they opened up - McDonald is also solid as an interviewer and makes sure to ask follow up questions much as possible - and there are many candid home video clips of Houston that add to the subject matter (the best being a bit where she decries Paula Abdul but not before her mother Cissy shittalks Janet Jackson).
McDonald and his editors take pop culture and politics and make damn sure through montage to compare and contrast in literally smashing pieces together that Houston's music couldn't be disentangled from the times they were in. How she became so monumentally successful? What was the world she was in? Somehow only she could pull off the Star Spangled Banner as a black woman to such a way everyone else since aspires to that.
Downsides: it has the predictable arc due to knowing a pop stars history, but the tragedy here is that there were so many who were there for Whitney and she succumbed to her addictions. -
crosbyp120039 July 2018No hold bars. I didn't want to see just concert footage. I can see that on you tube. There wasn't much I didn't know but the little tidbits and extra revelations made me feel compassion for Whitney. She went through a lot. People failed her and she failed herself. I believe she was a very good actor by that really good at covering up her true feelings. Hopefully this family will stop being in denial about the role they played.
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StrictlyConfidential10 November 2020Singer/actress, Whitney Houston (1963-2012) was the most awarded female artist of all time. She is regarded as being one of the greatest artists of the latter 20th century. Her crossover appeal on the popular music charts (as well as her prominence on MTV) influenced several African-American female performers of subsequent generations.
Through stills, archival footage, and interviews - This 2-hour bio-documentary takes an in-depth look at the turbulent life and glowing career of Whitney Houston. -
Gordon-111 July 2020This is a comprehensive retrospective of Whitney's life. There are many interviews of people close to her, and it is very informative.
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historiandesiree20 July 2018This movie is the worst of filmmaking: it's uninteresting AND it's offensive. You can always see the hand of the filmmaker in any work, but it's especially evident in a documentary. Here you can Tell that Kevin Macdonald, the writer director, has little to no respect for the audience or for Whitney Houston. He mines her life like a self interested thief continually looking for bits that will sucker punch the audience. He wants people to see this film obviously, and to talk about it. So, he throws in sensationalistic footage of Whitney, for example, negatively critiquing Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson. We are all entitled to dish, and yes somebody filmed it. It seems like somebody was always filming Whitney behind the scenes. But this footage didn't come out under Houston's watch. Not till Macdonald gets the go ahead to mine these films for his work. And of all the footage he found he sticks this in? Why? Apparently because it will make the press and get people to talk about and possibly see the film. Because it certainly adds little to the revelation of Whitney besides the fact that she said she didn't want to sell out. But he could have shown her saying this while leaving the critiques about the two ladies out. Again what does putting it in add to what we know about Whitney? And did Macdonald think at all about the effect showing this would have on the two women in question? An artist makes decisions about what they will do to others in order to make their work. And this the major problem again and again with this film. Macdonald's hand is careless. And the number one example of this: He lists the death of Bobbi Kristina Brown in the postscript of the film. Most people have heard that she died. But to tack this tidbit to the postscript of a film about her mother's life is base. Avoid this film at all costs. Whitney, you deserved a lot better.
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betchaareoffendedeasily8 December 2020I knew very little Whitney prior to watching this, and I have watched quite a few documentaries on Musicians, some better than others. The best part of this documentary are the interviews with her friends and family, and the fact that it does not flinched away from what Whitney became, it does not sugar coat things, and this was refreshing. I felt it allowed the interviewees to give a fairly unfiltered perspective, and they confirmed the little bits I had heard about Whitney. Particularly when her friends and family confirm what Bobby Brown claims in the first chapter of his biography, that Whitney was really the leader in the their relationship when came to drugs. Her family claims Bobby was quite the lightweight when it comes to drugs. Granted, Bobby had many other problems and was a jerk and philanderer, and that isn't sugar coated either. I also gained some respect for Bobby as he refused to go into the details of the drug usage, now I'm sure part of that was because he doesn't want to say what he did, regardless of it being his or Whitney's influence, and I can't say I blame him, who wants to talk about that when a microscope has been on you most of your life?
This actually turned out to be a far more tragic story than I anticipate, but I won't go into details as to why, it would ruin the surprises, all though sadly, they are bad surprises, and will make you very sad. One of the most disgusting things I didn't know, which would be common knowledge to most people over 35 I suppose, is that Whitney was a victim of racism at the hands of Al Sharpton, Al Sharpton is not a good human being, and he attacked Whitney viciously for not being "black enough", when all she was doing was making the music she wanted to irrespective of color, which is how it should be. It is a sick person that would harass and start protest to the point that it causes a backlash at an awards show, it is highly disturbing, not the most disturbing thing here, but it is very upsetting to see racism from one black person to another over styles of music. Sadly this typical of rhetoric(rooted in critical theory) has not become uncommon, but more common and downright excepted in many places, especially on college campuses. In fact, Al Sharpton has recently criticized some of this stuff recently, when Al Sharpton is criticizing you for being extreme, something is really really wrong.
On the whole, I found it inspiring to watch her singing, when she was in her prime, but it became even more depressing, seeing what a great vocalist she was as a teen and 20-something year old. This is someone who could sing with a huge range without much, and then plummeting to a place where should couldn't even stay on pitch very well, and this is, in my opinion, the saddest thing. Her voice was destroyed because of her pain in her life, because of her chosen coping mechanism; drugs. That is common knowledge, but it is pretty depressing watching this over the course of a two hour film, and it made me really appreciate her, knowing the pain she suffered. I am certain this is what made her not just a great technical vocalist, but one that used emotion and feeling with equal ability; this is what made her so popular.
A movie worth watching if you have interest in popular music or music history, you don't have to be a fan of Whitney, I wasn't, but I think you might just come out a fan after learning more about her. -
eldanty0515 February 2019How come Raffle's Van Exel hasn't been mentioned even once. He played a huge role in her death,Ray J and leaked coffin picture!!!
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iforgotmypants1 July 2018I was lucky enough to see this as part of preview screening at the Brixton Ritzy, bookended by incredible performances from the London Community Gospel Choir. It was emotionally exhausting, a whole range from euphoria at her stratospheric rise to distress at Whitney's destructive fall and personal tragedy. The film is an education in the music industry, media reaction and family drama. Stark and shocking in places with well chosen news footage framing her life in the context of the world she lived in at the time.
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jboothmillard14 July 2018I saw the trailer for this documentary film, I knew I was definitely going to go to the cinema to see it when I was able to, I am a very big fan of the singer, and I was fascinated to see the story of her life, directed by Kevin Macdonald (Touching the Void, The Last King of Scotland, Life in a Day). Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born 9 August 1963, this film depicts the life and career of the American singer and actress, charting her stratospheric rise to fame. The film is made up of archive footage, from Whitney's television appearances, and never-before-seen home video footage from her family and friends, stills from newspaper and magazine articles, and interviews from her family, friends and colleagues. Whitney's family had a history of singing, including her mother Cissy Houston, and she is first cousin of singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick. Whitney herself started singing in a gospel choir, then she performed as a soloist in nightclubs, she had a short stint in fashion modelling, before returning to singing and being offered numerous record deals. Whitney turned down many of them, eventually agreeing to sign a contract with Arista Records, headed by Clive Davis, she made her debut television appearance on The Merv Griffin Show in 1985. Her breakout song was "Saving All My Love for You", which went straight to number one in the US and the UK, she followed with other big hits like "How Will I Know" and "The Greatest Love of All". Whitney was fast becoming a superstar, and followed with her second album, which included hits "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional", and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", she also performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium. During this time, she met R&B singer Bobby Brown, they married a couple of years later, then she got her opportunity to become an actress, starring alongside Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard, which included the song, her most successful in history, "I Will Always Love You". Of course during this time she was also introduced to drugs, she tried and eventually became addicted alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and pills, and there were many tabloid scandals about the marriage to Bobby Brown, including his various arrests, and reports of him beating Whitney, they divorced in 2007. Whitney did have success with her next albums, including further hits like "It's Not Right But It's Okay" and "My Love Is Your Love", but her behaviour, addictions, many cancelled appearances and tours were causing her career to go downwards. She attempted a comeback, with varied success, but her live performances did not go down well with fans, with her singing being often off-key, she eventually went to rehab, and after returning patched things up with her family, including daughter Bobbi Kristina, and also returned to acting in a remake of Sparkle. Throughout the film, in various archive clips and performances, you can tell that Whitney struggled with her personal demons and addictions, displaying "dishevelled" and "erratic" behaviour, and struggling as a wife and mother. On 11 February 2012, Whitney was found dead in a suite at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, submerged in the bathtub, her death was caused by drowning and the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use", she was aged 48. Three years later, her daughter Bobbi Kristina was also found unconscious in a bathtub, she was put into an induced coma, she died in hospice care on 26 July 2015, at the age of 22. With contributions from Bobby Brown, Cissy Houston, Clive Davis, Gary Houston, L.A. Reid, Mary Jones and Kevin Costner. There are things I found out about Whitney I never would have known about, including her bisexuality, and a lesbian relationship with her best friend Robyn Crawford. It is difficult to watch when the footage shows Whitney acting strangely under the influence of drugs, but you cannot deny she was an incredible talent, her singing voice is amazing, and she still holds the records as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, it may be a bit up and down with its editing and approach to particular subjects, but it is a most interesting biographical music documentary. Good!
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lissa-s11 October 2018I was not disappointed. An in depth look at Whitney's life through the people who knew her best. Beautifully put together.
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lmireles295 November 2018An interesting documentary but I would have preferred it as one narrative from Whitney's POV from her childhood to her death. Instead, it is a series of interviews with people who knew her.
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rausby10 July 2018This documentary chronicles the life with ups and downs of the most cherished raw singer in the history music. Whitney (2018), exposes viewers to life growing up, musical training, drug addition, and family history. Secrets, marriage struggles, being a mother in the industry, and family turmoil are all highlighted in this very raw documentary. It is Whitney Houston like we've never seen it before. If you thought you knew everything about the musical legend, this a must see.
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rollingguinea5 August 2018A documentary film about the life of renowned singer and actress Whitney Houston, the only one to have been filmed with the consent of her family and estate administrator. It's not long ago that one of the greatest history singers who sold nearly 200 million albums died unexpectedly in the hotel room in 2012, the day before the Grammy Awards. Despite the publicly known drug problems, many people then questioned how it was possible that her life was so tragically ending. A new film by award-winning director Kevin Macdonald seeks answers to these questions. Thanks to an exclusive approach to the family archive, the family and the closest collaborators of the singer uncover connections that end up giving the viewer a much more complex picture of the life of the singer in the context of her time. In personal interviews, we learn about previously unknown facts that blend in partially unpublished pictorial material from Whitney's life. It turns out, for example, that Whitney did not bring her husband to the drugs, but came into contact with them much earlier in puberty than her brothers. Her former husband, Bobby Brown, even refuses in the interview that drugs could be related to his wife's death. Her own father, as the accountant of a family 'money machine', robbed her of her earnings, and after he had terminated her co-operation, he was judging her about the $ 100 million she claimed as a reward. The most serious suspicion we learn about two-thirds of the film from a personal assistant singer that Whitney was to be sexually abused by her 18-year-old cousin Dee Dee Warwick (she died in 2008). Whitney's inherent brother personally claims that DD Warwick was a child, apparently at a time when their mother was traveling on a tour (she was accompanying singer Areta Franklin and Elvis Presley), and the five foster families cared for the children. Mother was to learn about the abuse when shooting the film, and the director himself was told two weeks before the filming ended, which completely changed the final form of the film. The film contains many other details and emotional content. Despite of recalling tragical events, the film pays careful tribute to the artist who still holds the record of seven first titles in the American chart.
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bbewnylorac3 May 2019Writer and director Kevin Macdonald should be praised for making such an honest, well balanced piece about the great singer Whitney Houston. Many of her inner circle are interviewed, and they do seem to try to tell the truth There would have been a lot of pressure on Macdonald to write a nice, glossy puff piece about America's super sweetheart of the 1980s. But that would have been an injustice to her memory, and to music history. And although Macdonald does cover some big topics - such as Houston's raging drug abuse and allegations she was sexually abused as a child - he never portrays it sensationally. He's more of an investigative journalist, and he is brave enough to ask the uncomfortable questions. One interview with Houston's husband Bobby Brown is illuminating for what Brown refuses to answer rather than what he does say. Brown has come up with a version of the story he can live with, I guess. But Houston faced many other problems that the public didn't see. Being, as a young woman, the boss and source of income to most of her family and friends was obviously a disaster. When she got into drugs, no one was in a position to be very insistent that she go to rehab, or that she take a year off from the relentless pressure of being a global pop star. As a child, Whitney Houston was left at home (and molested, this doco claims) while her mother Cissy was a backing singer. So when Whitney became famous, she wanted her own daughter Bobbi to go on tour with her, to protect her. But tours are not a stable environment for a child, let alone a child in a drug addled household. It's truly heartbreaking to see what eventually happened to Bobbi. If anyone thinks drugs solve your problems, or make you happy, or relieve stress, maybe they should watch this film. All it shows is that drugs ruin your life, as they did Houston's. She was far too young to die. May she rest in peace.
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bastos14 March 2021Good movie on the life of Whitney Houston something to be expected from a Kevin Macdonald doc. Very informative, it chronicles the rise and fall of the world wide phenom and it doesn't shy away from some of her most controversial topics. They even get an interview with Bobby Brown which is, unfortunately, a bit too short. It does a good job of showing her rise to fame in the 80's, her tumultuous marriage and her eventual fall due to prolonged substance abuse. It does have some revelations, like the one regarding Dee Dee Warwick, which felt a bit more on the sensationalistic side as I think it deserved a bit more digging to present a stronger claim. As it is it feels rushed and it only scrapes the surface. All in all a good movie nevertheless.
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pilot100910 May 2019Ok if you are a real Whitney fan, it is a documentary and somewhat sycophantic ie no one says much that is negative or critical and thats ok but in my opinion detracts from the point of such a film.