Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

IWDWS is an open and honest depiction of the late Whitney Houston's life from cradle to grave. That means there's a lot to pack in to the 2 hour 24 minute run time. And a lot it packs in too meaning the picture hurtles along, leaving the viewer breathless at times, but centering itself to hover where required, so that the drama can breathe. Speaking of breathing, be prepared to be in awe of Naomi Ackie's portrayal of the late Houston who is nothing short of Magnificent. She carries the movie and she gives that rare insight into the star who's life was doggedly and negatively battered by the media, adding to her troubled life. Houston's voice is used throughout and Ackie handles things with aplomb. The live renditions let loose Houston's vocal stylings that leave a breadth of evidence that her voice really was (and is) unparalleled. These performances elevate the movie, but then again, Houston's vocal performances elevated every movie she starred in. And it's also the case here, although Ackie's embodiment draws compassion to the character and let's the viewer into the psyche of a woman who had the odds stacked against her, but a voice that sang the naysayers 'under the floor'. Better than all of the recent Biopics, this really is a highlight to end off 2022 and see in 2023 with a shining beacon of a bonafide singing superstar, the likes of we've not seen since.

I went into I Wanna Dance With Somebody complete cold turkey. I can not list a Whitney Houston song , yet I am only familiar with The Preacher Wife. I like these artist based films, sso I thought I would give this a try. The acting, or more correctly, the lack of acting by the actress portraying Whitney Houston is just well, comical. It felt that the Producer's wanted to put in too much and there wasn't a " good enough plan." Someone wrote there is too much un explained situations which happen that do not go resolve. That is true.. Producer's wanted to cram to much in. This leaves me with Stanley Tucci. The story overall was weak, but Stanley made me more, well, anticipated to see him return. I don't understand why Costume and hair gave Stanley that bad hair piece and just had him go bald as normal. None of the supporting characters, in my opinion, other than Tucci, were anything good. For some reason, all the actors were rather irritating. This is no spoiler, but, there is no " ending." It's very much like The Sopranos. I came in with low expectations and I left with low expectations.

I didn't think i'd like this but the ticket was free and Craig really wanted to see it so ... In the end I don't think it was even as good as I expected it would be. It was a very rushed run through her life hitting at various touch points but not really explaining them ... like when we first see her doing drugs. What led to this? There's very little time spent on her early career - she's just pretty suddenly world famous. Towards the end I also think that they were very gracious in their depiction. I seem to recall that she was a right mess towards the end of her life ... admittedly from what I remember reading in the press, etc ... but the film showed her looking as great as ever. I wish they'd managed to find an actress who looked a bit more like her. There was far too much musical performance in the film ... and the miming wasn't always that great. The last medley performance went on for way too long and the singing style made it feel like an assault on my ears. Stanley was great ... as always. Was Bobby Brown really such a total and utter a-hole? Felt there was a summation of the major players missing from the end of the movie ... like her mother and her daughter and manager, etc. What's the latest on them? 31/100.

I love Whitney Houston and believe she deserves an amazing biopic to memorialize her accomplishments and to tell the detailed story of her complicated life...unfortunately this is not it. Most addiction stems from trauma and dysfunction in the family of origin. So it's difficult to create a framework if you avoid highlighting or exploring a person's childhood and family dynamic. The movie plays like a lifetime movie lightly touching on topics we've already seen in previous documentaries and stories leaving out very significant trauma (Possible molestation, abuse in the household, issues growing up in the projects, emotional incest, her toxic abusive relationship with Bobby) Their big reveal (not really a spoiler cause you already have seen everything in this movie somewhere before) is the montage of songs she did for the American Music Awards... I went in hoping to see something like "Elvis" "Bohemian Rhapsody" or even "Ray" but instead got a play by play of obvious moments with no deeper insights or understanding into one of the Greatest talents of our Generation... I gave it 5 stars because I appreciate that the subject matter is Whitney. For originality, script, dialogue, and dramatic worth It would easily be a 3.

A disappointingly inarticulate and slapdash musical biopic about the legendary songstress. While the film does touch on some important aspects of Houston's life and career, such as her relationship with Arista Records head Clive Davis and her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown, it fails to provide a nuanced or in-depth portrayal of the singer as a person. The script, written by Anthony McCarten, is unfocused and fails to build a cohesive narrative, and the editing choices by Daysha Broadway are jarring and contribute to the film's disjointed feel. Despite some standout performances, particularly from Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis and Nafessa Williams as Robyn Crawford, the film ultimately falls short in its portrayal of Whitney Houston and fails to do justice to the singer's talent and legacy.