Whitney Houston's talent is undeniable but since her tragic death in 2012, her legacy seems to have been somewhat tainted. Kevin Macdonald's new documentary, simply titled Whitney, assembles interviews with those closest to her and archive footage to gain an insight into her meteoric rise to fame, prolonged success and the entrenchment in addiction that caused her passing. Labelled 'the untold story', is there much depth to Whitney, or is it an exploitative cash-in on the devastating downfall of one of the world's greatest artists?
Whitney documents the twenty-seven-year career of Ms. Houston, taking us beyond her hit singles to explore her early life, rise to fame, career challenges and personal struggles, with behind-the-scenes and never-before-seen access to her life. With intimate interviews with her family, close friends and entourage providing texture and colour to her troubled journey, Whitney works well at both celebrating and commemorating her life and legacy, in a refreshingly unbiased but still impassioned and pointed manner.
Considering how complex a figure and career Whitney Houston had, director Kevin Macdonald does a mightily impressive job of streamlining her story into a well-rendered and balanced 122-minute piece. As someone who knew little about the legend beyond the 'headlines', Whitney will clearly work for a wide audience, no matter their preconceived understanding of the star: it is an insightful, unrestrained and thorough examination told from various, often contradictory angles, one that will benefit from the director's impartial and investigatory approach. While it is ultimately designed to commemorate and cement Whitney's legacy, that it neglects to shy away from her flaws enhances your engagement (and respect) in the project, building a more complete portrait and empathetic assessment that so many may be tempted to pretty up.
Sam Rice-Edwards's contribution to the documentary should not go unnoted: the editing here is tremendous, providing some striking imagery and eliciting a deeply emotional response. Visually and narratively jarring cuts ensure that it remains entrancing from beginning to end; from the sudden shock of Whitney's dishevelled state in her later days to a slow zoom on the now infamous bathtub where her life was ended, his artistic sensibilities - enhanced by Nelson Hume's cinematography - demonstrate that documentaries do not need to be void of personality visually; it can be just as powerful as the story it tells.
One of Whitney's greatest assets is how it contextualises the singer's journey: intercut throughout is news footage that reminds of the societal changes at the time, highlighting the extra difficulty Whitney faced as a woman of colour. It nods towards her record company's decision to market her towards a white audience, which was something I willed the film to explore further. It covers such a great expanse of ground that certain threads become lost and tangled in the process - but it's a testament to the scope of Whitney's career that some elements seem undeveloped in a two hour-plus film.
Whitney is very well-constructed, constantly fascinating but ultimately saddening documentary that transcends genre conventions to provide a richly-contextualised and potent exploration of the music industry's greatest, most tragic loss. The inevitability never diminishes the power of the piece, with the shocking revelations and empathetic interviews yielding emotionally explosive results along the way. It's powerful and moving and one of the year's strongest documentaries, a great tribute to a once-in-a-lifetime star and legacy: Whitney, you are missed.
Whitney documents the twenty-seven-year career of Ms. Houston, taking us beyond her hit singles to explore her early life, rise to fame, career challenges and personal struggles, with behind-the-scenes and never-before-seen access to her life. With intimate interviews with her family, close friends and entourage providing texture and colour to her troubled journey, Whitney works well at both celebrating and commemorating her life and legacy, in a refreshingly unbiased but still impassioned and pointed manner.
Considering how complex a figure and career Whitney Houston had, director Kevin Macdonald does a mightily impressive job of streamlining her story into a well-rendered and balanced 122-minute piece. As someone who knew little about the legend beyond the 'headlines', Whitney will clearly work for a wide audience, no matter their preconceived understanding of the star: it is an insightful, unrestrained and thorough examination told from various, often contradictory angles, one that will benefit from the director's impartial and investigatory approach. While it is ultimately designed to commemorate and cement Whitney's legacy, that it neglects to shy away from her flaws enhances your engagement (and respect) in the project, building a more complete portrait and empathetic assessment that so many may be tempted to pretty up.
Sam Rice-Edwards's contribution to the documentary should not go unnoted: the editing here is tremendous, providing some striking imagery and eliciting a deeply emotional response. Visually and narratively jarring cuts ensure that it remains entrancing from beginning to end; from the sudden shock of Whitney's dishevelled state in her later days to a slow zoom on the now infamous bathtub where her life was ended, his artistic sensibilities - enhanced by Nelson Hume's cinematography - demonstrate that documentaries do not need to be void of personality visually; it can be just as powerful as the story it tells.
One of Whitney's greatest assets is how it contextualises the singer's journey: intercut throughout is news footage that reminds of the societal changes at the time, highlighting the extra difficulty Whitney faced as a woman of colour. It nods towards her record company's decision to market her towards a white audience, which was something I willed the film to explore further. It covers such a great expanse of ground that certain threads become lost and tangled in the process - but it's a testament to the scope of Whitney's career that some elements seem undeveloped in a two hour-plus film.
Whitney is very well-constructed, constantly fascinating but ultimately saddening documentary that transcends genre conventions to provide a richly-contextualised and potent exploration of the music industry's greatest, most tragic loss. The inevitability never diminishes the power of the piece, with the shocking revelations and empathetic interviews yielding emotionally explosive results along the way. It's powerful and moving and one of the year's strongest documentaries, a great tribute to a once-in-a-lifetime star and legacy: Whitney, you are missed.
★★★★★★★★☆☆
(8/10)
Summary: Whitney is very well-constructed, constantly fascinating but ultimately saddening documentary that transcends genre conventions to provide a visually striking, richly-contextualised and potent exploration of the music industry's greatest, most tragic loss