Mjeteconer
Just perfect...
Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
mraculeated
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Anthony Vozza
Who doesn't love Whitney Houston? We have all enjoyed her music, video's, and acting performances. It could honestly be said there was a time she was both the best actress and singer of the moment. This movie is controversial at best and completely challenges our belief that bad boy Bobby Brown corrupted an angelic Whitney Houston. Is it possible it was all smoking mirrors and Bobby Brown was actually a much better man than the press gave him credit for, was he the one corrupted and belittled? For those of you that lived through the era, Bobby Brown was larger than life, 1st in the highly successful boy band, New Edition, and as a solo singer song writer. Hits like "My Prerogative" and "Every Little Step" were on the radio 24/7 and the Video's were captivating. What could he have become if his path hadn't crossed with the great Whitney Houston?Hopefully this movie is part 1 in what should be a miniseries.
countinstars
This movie was based on the relationship she had with Bobby, not about her childhood and transformation into an international superstar. This movie did her not justice as it showed her struggles with her boyfriend, then husband--not her as a budding phenomenal artist on the road to super stardom with Bobby just being the lover of her life and/or one of her problems. They need to make a better movie to do her life and career justice. It was not just about coke, sex, Bobby, and Whitney...which was the main focus of this biopic. Shame to even call it a biopic. It was just a love story. I am just writing more since I said I need 10 or more lines. Unbelievable...
StepsCheerBSB
As a child of the 80's, I grew up when Whitney Houston was at the top of her game, so its nice to see a film about her life. To begin, Yaya DaCosta did a great job portraying Whitney. From what I remember about Whitney, Yaya captured her mannerisms quite well.Here are a few things I would have liked to have seen in the film: Timelines/subtitles notifying the viewer which year these events occurred and the story focusing more on Whitney and less on her marriage.This film roughly covers the years between 1989 and 1994/1995. Again, I was young when all of these events happened in real life but putting the year at the bottom of the screen could have made everything clearer because how I thought things happened (like them getting married and her miscarriage/The Bodyguard) took place in a different order than what was shown on screen. Plus, it didn't help that Yaya had a different wig on in every other scene so it was difficult to follow the sequence. Since this film was an hour and a half, this film could have explored more into her life growing up. I would have loved to have seen her as a child, whether it was if she went on tour with her mom (since her mom sang backup for Elvis), when/how she got discovered, her modeling days, was being in the music industry what caused her to start with the drug use or were the rumors true about her brother introducing her to drugs? Wasn't she in a group with Johnny Gill, and why that didn't work out? Did she ever go to rehab? What made her finally decide to divorce Bobby? This list can keep going but the movie is mainly focused on her relationship with Bobby to the point it should have been titled "Whitney and Bobby."I know the family disapproved of this movie, but I didn't learn anything new about Whitney that the media didn't already cover years ago. I mean, I learned more about Bobby than Whitney. I saw Bobby talk about him growing up in the hood, plus his friend gets shot in a scene, his infidelities, him having two kids prior to their marriage with another on the way from different women, his insecurities about being Mr. Houston and him being stagnant while Whitney was on tour. Granted, there was limited insight due to the families disapproval and Whitney not being alive but there are several resources that could have added more to the story line. More research could have taken this film to the next level. All in all, I loved the music, Deborah Cox did the singing for Whitney's performances. The intensity between the actors was great, the costume designs signified the era well. In the end, go into this film with the mindset that you'll probably learn more about Bobby than Whitney.
edwagreen
Arlen and Yaya have perfect chemistry in this current year biography of the tragic singer Whitney Houston and her turbulent marriage to Bobbie Brown.The film starts off with Whitney having achieved stardom and already on drugs before she even meets up with Brown, already in relationships with children.The story becomes one of A Star Being Born with their subsequent marriage and Whitney rising to the top of her game, and a drinking Brown, unable to keep up with her and resorting to all sorts of nonsense.The great song from The Bodyguard, "I'll Always Love You" is belted out beautifully by the Houston character.A fast, controversial life with tragedy resulting was inevitable.