‘Whitney Houston: I want to dance with someone’: The Voice biopic

If there was one figure who could stand up to ‘Avatar: The Sense of Water’, it was Whitney Houston. Nicknamed the Voice, she was one of the great music icons of the 80s and 90s, the only artist to reach seven consecutive number ones on the Billboard Hot 100 and considered the most awarded female singer of all time (according to the Guinness Book) . Her tragic diva aura, due to her untimely death at the age of 48, has enhanced a unique legacy which, without a doubt, is worth a visit on the big screen.

His biopic has been a long time coming, ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody’, the first to have the express support of the artist’s estate, which made it possible to transform the film into a complete tribute to the artist born in New Jersey, in which to fully enjoy her songs, as well as being able to hear her voice. For this she counted not only with the relatives of the artist herself, but also with Clive Davis, who was the artist’s producer, thus giving his blessing to a project that is meant to be a love letter to the diva.

Directed by Kasi Lemmons, expert on feature films or biographical series on African-American characters, after projects on broadcaster Petey Greene (“Talk to Me”), entrepreneur CJ Walker (“Madam CJ Walker – A self-made woman”), activist Mamie Till (“Women on Movement”) or the abolitionist and suffragist Harriet Tubman (“Harriet, seeking freedom”). The film follows a structure similar to that of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the film that traced the life of Freddie Mercury, which should not be surprising, given that its screenwriter is the same, Anthony McCarten, also an expert on biopicswhen writing that of Winston Churchill in ‘The Darkest Hour’ or that of Stephen Hawking in ‘The Theory of Everything’.

Y that experience is reflected in a feature film that tries to respect the canons of biographical projectsalthough in the case of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”, it is covered in a more emotional and critical perspective than “Bohemian Rhapsody”, reflecting in more detail the dark aspects of Whitney Houston, especially in relation to the repression of her bisexualitywhich prevented her from having an affair with her best friend, Robyn Crawford, and how her desire to start a traditional family led to a stormy and toxic marriage to Bobby Brown.

Respectful and correct tribute to the singer

Beyond those dark moments in his life, which Lemmons narrates with a tragic aura, relating Houston to other figures such as Édith Piaf, Maria Callas, Dalida or Billie Holiday.; tries to escape the morbid to focus on the epic, how Houston has tried to escape the labels in her music, how her ambition has led her to reach the top to be one of the greatest. These aspects give the film that luminous touch which is enhanced by the musical performances.in which Whitney’s own voice is found.

Now, what elevates the film are its actors. Naomi Ackie merges with Whitney Houston. As happened with the case of Cynthia Erivo in ‘Harriet’, the English interpreter manages to connect with Houston’s ambivalent character. He’s not the only one to stand out, as it’s time to applaud the role of Ashton Sanders -the teenage version of the ‘Moonlight’ protagonist-; as well as Tamara Tunie as Cissy Houston, the uncompromising mother of the hapless diva; Stanley Tucci, always correct, like Clive Davis, the other great pro partner in the Houston race, and, of course, to Nafessa Williams, who plays Robyn Crawford, reflecting that impossible love between the artist and her best friend.

‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ follows in the vein of previous biopics of Lemmons as director and McCarten as screenwriter. A feature film which, of course, will appeal to the singer’s fans and which also allows the new generations to meet a woman who made history and who has rightfully earned to be one of the great legends of music. Whitney lives again.

Note: 7

The best: The interpretation of Naomi Ackie, who knows how to convey the power of the singer’s voice, as well as her own inner demons.

Worse: That big documentary that was “Whitney” happened to him often, which was a much more multifaceted portrayal. It is no longer a conventional biopic.