This is definitely a must watch for fans. Filled with nostalgia and emotions. I teared up throughout the movie. They used Whitney's voice for the singing scenes which got me So Emotional. Pun intended!
While it's obvious she doesn't look like Whitney, Naomi did an amazing job. She nailed Whitney's mannerisms and body language. The actor playing Clive Davis was spot on as well. What made the movie come to life were the styling, outfits, makeup, and hair. The music video sets were all spot on. All the staff who worked on them deserve awards.
I've seen the biopics, documentaries, and interviews. I've read the books written by Cissy, Bobby, Narada, and Robyn. Some of the information presented in the movie seemed inaccurate and were purposely left out (ex: no mention of Eddie Murphy). For instance, it's publicly known that it was Kevin Costner and not Clive who asked Whitney to sing "I Will Always Love You".
I was disappointed by the portrayals of John Houston and Robyn Crawford. The movie portrayed John as an aggressive father who only cares about making and spending money off of her daughter. There's some truth to this. But according to Robyn's book, John was gentle and genuinely cared about Whitney's well-being. The movie only painted John as the greedy one. But real fans know John wasn't the only one.
As for Robyn, the movie portrayed her as someone totally opposite of who she really is. Real fans know that Robyn is soft-spoken, calm, and someone who genuinely cared about Whitney.
I was not happy they portrayed Whitney aloof ignoring fans when fans asked her for an autograph/photograph. I'm not saying that hasn't happened before. But there have been countless times on camera showing that she was happy to meet fans.
There was no mention of Whitney's personal assistant and close confidant, Sylvia. At the very least they could've had an extra with no lines putting a towel over Whitney (which Sylvia did during the world tours).
There was little mention of things that really mattered to Whitney such as her faith, the community, and causes. I wish they focused on that more.
Don't expect the movie to reveal things that aren't already known to the public. The movie doesn't go deep into details.
Critics say there should've been more focus on her struggles and what's not known. I disagree because the world already knows too much. She did not like her personal life being all out there. Most of all, she wanted to be remembered for her music. The movie respected that by presenting what's already known (all the ups and the downs), and by raising her legacy and achievements which were once heavily overshadowed by her struggles.
