The Reel Review
“Can I be me?” Nick Broomfield’s 2017 documentary states these were the words that pop superstar Whitney Houston frequently uttered out of frustration throughout her career, feeling she had no control over her life.
Available on Showtime, the film skillfully weaves never before seen footage, including that from Houston’s final concert tour in 1999, with archival interviews with longtime best friend and rumored lover Robyn Crawford, ex-husband Bobby Brown, Houston’s parents and brothers, and members of Whitney’s entourage – so skillfully weaved, in fact, that you might think they willingly participated in this film. They did not. This is the story about the darker side of Houston’s life and career.
That said, Broomfield, whom has a reputation for more salacious documentaries (Kurt & Courtney, Biggie & Tupac), is surprisingly respectful, even subdued, as he details Arista Records’ control over the type of music Houston sang, her drug abuse, the persistent gay rumors, her controversial marriage to Bobby Brown, and that so few people in her world wanted to get her help as she was deteriorating, for fear of ruining their meal ticket. The interview with David Roberts, Houston’s former bodyguard for seven years (who was fired in 1995 after sharing his concerns about Houston’s health) is particularly revealing. And while fans will appreciate the insight into Whitney Houston, the person, it is a shame that the documentary couldn’t have included some of the positive aspects of Houston’s life and career, because there were many.
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