Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

view_and_review I actually watched the 2018 documentary simply titled Whitney just the other day and when I mentioned it to someone he thought I was talking about this documentary, so I decided to watch it. This documentary is decidedly less depressing though it still brings you down. There's quite a bit of concert footage and a focus on Whitney's final successful tour which was in 1999. Of course this documentary, like this year's documentary, is mostly exploring what went wrong. We always want answers when a tragedy occurs and Whitney's death was tragic. Many hypotheses are given but there is no way to really know.

davideo-2 STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning When world famous recording superstar Whitney Houston died from a drug overdose in February 2012, it sent the showbiz world into chaos and had everyone talking. Director Nick Broomfield examines her life leading up to her death, from her upbringing in the slums of the ghetto, where she first began experimenting with drugs, but also discovered her amazing, soulful voice, that would lead to her conquering the world with her singing, where she harmonised it singing in the choir in the local evangelical church. When she first hit the big time, she first experimented with her sexuality with assistant Robyn Crawford, before settling down with r n' b singer Bobby Brown, which sadly lead to a downward spiral of drink and drugs that ruined it all.If there are many things Broomfield's documentary misses out on, one salient point it does raise is how unhappy Whitney apparently was with the manufactured, fuzzy commercial pop she was made to sing by her record company, designed to appeal to the mainstream white suburban America that was apparently more likely to buy the records, rather than stuff that was more grounded in her roots, with no one wanting her to become 'the female James Brown.' While these were the tunes that made her famous, it's disconcerting to know she felt so little of it behind the scenes. As if out of some weird respect for this, Broomfield brushes over most of her early back catalogue, and musically, focuses on her 1992 cover of Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You, from the hit motion picture The Bodyguard.Another touchy subject that has never received much attention before is her rumoured bisexuality, which is sparingly explored here in the early stages, but what's more revealing is the disdain for such things that exists among, or did exist among, the black community in America at the time, and if Whitney wasn't spurned by her fans or wider society, she would have been by those closer to her. Running under the two hour mark, it's hard not to surmise that Broomfield may have had a lot of missed opportunities, and stuff he neglects to explore or delve into that could have added more substance to the proceedings, and given it a more interesting edge.It all feels very similar to a lot of what has already been documented about Whitney's personal/private life in TV documentaries and such, and at this late stage it's hard not to feel like you're seeing stuff you've already seen. But it's still a fairly well made and focused documentary of a cultural icon. ***

lambiepie-2 Let me be clear -- 'Whitney: Can I Be Me' is one documentary that I am sure will be one of many, and future movies and films that are all going to come out and present the perspectives of those who participate in them. For example, I have seen the Michael Jackson documentaries, etc., and they all keep coming because there were so many people around him that have different tales to tell, and were exposed to his life in different ways (from family to body guards to ticket sellers, etc.) that they feel their perspectives needed to be told. This documentary on Whiney Houston is similar to just one of those.In that, Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal have put together a very sad perspective on Whitney Houston told through those they interviewed and archival footage. Right there, it lets the viewer know it will not be complete nor told from those who need to be a part of this. It is not a concert film to celebrate Whitney's talent, but just a micro-one-sided telling of a world wide talent that met with tragedy. Some will feel that is exploitative because it doesn't fully address what it should, just the 'tragic parts' and I will agree that is a fair assessment.Whitney's fans will like the never-before-seen footage of Whitney in concert in Europe 13 years before her death, the backstage footage of seeing how much of a toll that can take on a performer as popular as Whitney, and getting glimpses of when she was happy being a friend, a mom, and wife. And with the interviews of the few that did speak, we see how that was all a heavy load and much to cope. That's the area it touches on about Whitney being Whitney.Then it veers into her trials, drug use, questions about her sexuality and how this all contributed towards her demise. In documentaries like this, many Whitney fans will feel as if the documentarian(s) are after the tabloidism of the subject, to kick the subject down after they are gone, get something cheap and tawdry released for ratings. Her fans know she had problems (She had a reality show which was never mentioned, for example). Is there a need for this documentary, then? Not a need, but a perspective that needs to be told, and they told it.Whitney was huge in the 80s and 90s, and I appreciated her talent very much. I do not think this is the "official documentary" that will be/should be done on Whitney Houston from those who were very close to her and would agree to sit down, look into a camera and discuss Whiney's life in their lives, and I would recommend that die-hard fans stay away from this since the focus is on her downfall and does feel heavy handed on that at times -- they should wait for the 'true'documentary to be done. I expect that it will. But this one is a 'blip' of her life, a very sad tragic telling that actually leaves more questions for fans and non-fans alike who may be interested than it answers.

mersad_92 I'd like to thank Nick Broomfield for this respectful and real documentary about Whitney. Although Nick did not talk to Cissy, Robyn Crawford or Bobby Brown directly (they are there in archive footage), numerous people who were close to Whitney or close around her for years tell us the sad, sad story about this wonderful person and brilliant artist. Whitney was a great, generous and sweet woman and the documentary sadly shows the bitter truth. She was surrounded by people who cared for her money but not for her. Whitney was a product to make as much money as she could for the people around her. And to answer her important question; she could not be herself. It's very sad to see. For fans it's also great to see never before seen footage from Whitney's My Love Is Your Love world tour and the parts of performances you get to see, which are breathtaking. It's the first documentary that respects Whitney but also sheds light on her sad and frustrating story. I can't believe she was treated the way she was. Her death (and that of her daughter) could have been prevented but except for a few people who really cared for her, nobody did a damn thing! Nobody cared about her while Whitney wanted to make everybody happy! It makes me so sad and angry. As a fan this is a must watch documentary but if you aren't a fan it's worth watching too. The breathtaking performances you get to see should also tell us we should remember this woman for her breathtaking voice. She is the greatest singer this world has ever known and she has changed musical history. She had a huge influence on the music industry and she will always be one of it's greatest legends. Whitney was a true craftswoman who sang with every fiber of her body. She felt the music and all it's emotion like no other. The only little thing I missed was an entire performance of Whitney. I would have loved it to see an entire I Will Always Love You performance from her My Love Is Your Love world tour at the end of the documentary for example. I will never forget you Whitney!