Whitney (2018)

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald | 120 minutes | documentary, biography | Starring: Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina Brown, Merv Griffin, Dionne Warwick, Cissy Houston, Nelson Mandela, Marvin Gaye, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Robyn Crawford, Gary Houston, Clive Davis, LA Reid, Dee Dee Warwick, Rickey Minor, Mary Jones, Michael Houstn, John Russell Houston Jr., Ray Watson, Lynne Volkman, Steven Gittelman, Alan Jacobs

Whitney Houston passed away over 6 years ago on February 11, 2012. Drowned in a hotel bathroom after a drug overdose. The thirty years before that, she caused a furore with one of the most soulful voices America had ever produced. An endless stream of hits, including records that are still unbroken today, and a world famous film (‘The Bodyguard’, 1992) are her most important memory.
However, in addition to all the glory and honor that has fallen to her, the period before her death continues to appeal to many people: the dilapidated superstar, who lived in a world full of drugs and bad friends. How did it get this far? How could Whitney Houston, the girl with the fantastic voice who was groomed for success from childhood, sink so far into the world of fame? What has changed her? How can we explain her fall from the immense pedestal on which she stood? In Whitney, director Kevin Macdonald attempts to answer these questions by examining the rise and fall of the Newark diva.

In this he recognizes different periods, which are clearly shown in the documentary. The transitions between the periods are characterized by the music of Houston, played over a compilation of atmospheric images. These atmospheric images come from the world in which Whitney lived, such as concerts and some backstage images, but also from the world she came from: the violence in the ghettos of America. This is an interesting contradiction, which occurs more often in this film. The world of the diva versus the world of the ordinary person. The life of Whitney Houston, the world artist, versus the life of ‘Nippy’; as she was called by her friends and family. Her family’s role in her success versus her family’s role in her downfall. The whole forms an image of the duality of the diva, in which different roles and interests compete almost constantly for precedence.

For this project, Macdonald interviewed about 70 different people. Material from approximately 25 people was actually used. The interviews reproduced here are emotional, beautifully worded and pure. The most striking example of this is the drama surrounding Bobbi Kristina Brown, Houston’s daughter, who had died just before the shooting. The emotion surrounding that subject is palpable. The regret that the family allowed the ‘Houston’ company to continue despite the problems Whitney knew is clearly noticeable. In addition, the revelation that the film makes about the youth of Houston, with allegations of abuse in the family, is very impressive.

The whole results in a penetrating portrait of a woman who finds herself in a world with influences she could not resist and an environment that continues to push her to continue. The style in which Macdonald has done this, with large amounts of archival material and Houston’s music as the backbone around which the story is told, makes a documentary well worth watching.

Despite the poignant story and the tragedy of her life, there is one part that gives every viewer goosebumps; the music. It’s been thirty years since her breakthrough, but Whitney Houston’s voice still thrills every viewer. Her mother said it before Houston was known worldwide: ‘your music is timeless’. And that becomes clear once again in ‘Whitney’.