I Wanna Dance With Somebody
2022 Review Number 8:
I Wanna Dance With Somebody: (Music Biopic/Drama): 67 out of 100: From the writer of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', comes this biopic of Whitney Houston, the singing sensation known as "The Voice" from the 1980s and 1990s. She led a turbulent life filled with highs and lows so her story is ideal to be recounted as a feature film.
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Whitney Houston (Naomi Ackie) is the daughter of John Houston (Clarke Peters), a theatrical manager, and Cissy Houston (Tamara Tunie), a soul and gospel singer. Cissy wants her daughter to be more successful than she ever was so trains her with her vocal techniques while Whitney's father wants to manage her. Whitney has two serious adult loves in her life, starting with a gay relationship with Robyn Crawford (Nafessa Williams), who is employed as her assistant, and followed by a marriage to R & B singer Bobby Brown (Ashton Sanders). Together they have a daughter, Bobbi Kristina (Bria Danielle Singleton). Whitney's record producer is Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci) who also produced albums for performers such as Barry Manilow, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys.
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This is a solid biopic without being outstanding. Like many biopics that fit this description, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" tries to cover too much territory starting from 1983 before Whitney became a star and ending with her death in 2012. An example of a 'rushed' scene is the drug taking with her brothers. It's a case of blinking and missing how Whitney was influenced by the drug culture. One aspect that the plot covers well however is the musical performances. Occasionally it feels like you are watching a concert with the atmosphere generated. Credit must go to Naomi Ackie for doing a fine job of miming to Whitney Houston's vocals although she also contributes her own vocals when not performing in a concert or laying down a track in the studio. The sound quality is brilliant and will definitely please the fans of Whitney Houston's music. On the other hand, the singing performances are used numerously in montage sequences, which some viewers might consider to be a lazy way of filmmaking.
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Not only does Ackie shine in her musical performances but she also conveys the emotions of Whitney. She might not look like her at all but she has adopted the voice and facial mannerisms of her without being a straight out impersonation. It's another case of an English actor being excellent as an American icon. Stanley Tucci adds some humour to his role as Whitney's record producer and is the only famous face in the cast. The rest of the cast who plays Whitney's family also demonstrate their dramatic acting talents.
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Directed by Kasi Lemmons, the film occasionally employs a documentary made on the run feel with jerky camera movements. The documentary 'Whitney' from 2018 directed by Kevin Macdonald actually provides a more insightful look into Whitney's life. When compared with this feature film, I prefer the documentary for its gritty approach to retell Whitney's ordeals. There just seems to be something missing in the portrayal of the complete negative side to Whitney's fame, perhaps because the film has been developed in consultation with Whitney's family.
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For pure entertainment value, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" will appeal to the masses just like "Bohemian Rhapsody" did. For more discerning or fussy viewers, there will be faults to detect. For people who don't know much about Whitney Houston's life, it is a satisfactory start to learning more about her personal and professional life.
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Starring Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Tamara Tunie, Ashton Sanders and Nafessa Williams
(146 mins)
Parental advice: Drug use and coarse language
Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tfemzaMkoU
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(Reviewed on Thursday 22nd December, 2022)
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