WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY

Director: Kasi Lemmons
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Ashton Sanders, Stanley Tucci, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams

It seems rare when a music biopic actually lives up to its subject. Every year there’s a new one added to the list, and I wish I could say that Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody stood above the others, but it fails to stand up to the legacy of Ms. Houston. Naomi Ackie has the daunting task of playing Houston throughout every stage of her life as the film portrays. She was an aspiring singer and backup vocalist for her mom, Cissy Houston (Tunie) and was the cousin of Dionne Warwick. She was spotted by Clive Davis during a nightclub set one night, and it was there when he realized she’d become one of the greatest voices of her generation. He’s played by Stanley Tucci. Davis would take Houston under his wing and from there it was superstardom. Fame came with a price as it fractured her relationship with her girlfriend Robyn (Williams), got her entangled with Bobby Brown (Sanders) and saw her wealth mismanaged by her father (Peters).

Here’s my review