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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

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• Documentary
• Drama

• 2022
• Kasi Lemmons
• 138 mins
• 12A

Summary

Biographical drama starring Naomi Ackie and Stanley Tucci. In the early 1980s, aspiring singer Whitney Houston is discovered by Arista Records executive Clive Davis, who immediately signs her. Soon, Houston is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, but the next three decades of her life and career bring terrible lows as well as starry highs.

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

James Mottram

America's tragic pop princess Whitney Houston gets the big-screen treatment in Kasi Lemmons's exhilarating rise-and-fall biopic. British actor Naomi Ackie is sensational as Houston, embodying her early innocence and enthusiasm as she goes from singing gospel with her mother Cissy (Tamara Tunie) to becoming the most successful Black recording artist ever. Wisely, Lemmons uses Houston's voice for the majority of the performances, beginning with a stellar rendition of The Greatest Love of All when she's first spotted by Arista Records founder Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci). Lemmons handles Houston's slide with skill, whether it's her marriage to singer Bobby Brown (Ashton Sanders), the mismanagement of her finances by her father, John (Clarke Peters), or her increasing reliance on recreational drugs. The film never lingers on the unseemly final years of Houston's life, but there's enough here to hint at her demise ("Whitney in chaos" scream the headlines). What ultimately emerges is a celebration of her vocal range and power, and the tragedy as she begins to damage that voice is there for all to see.

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6.6/10

How to watch

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Streaming

• BBC iPlayer
• NOW
• Sky Store

Credits

Cast

rolenameWhitney HoustonNaomi AckieClive DavisStanley TucciCissy HoustonTamara TunieJohn HoustonClarke PetersBobby BrownAshton Sanders

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Crew

rolenameDirectorKasi Lemmons

Details

Theatrical distributor

Sony

Released on

2022-12-26

Languages

English

Guidance

Violence, swearing, sexual references, drug abuse

Formats

Colour

News & features about Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

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  Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody review – Naomi Ackie is stupendous
  
  This biopic celebrates Whitney's generational talent, rather than dwelling on the darkness.

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  I Wanna Dance with Somebody soundtrack: All the songs in the Whitney Houston biopic
  
  Naomi Ackie stars as the iconic singer in the new film.

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