Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody is the newest biopic celebrating the epic life and music of pop icon Whitney Houston. Starring Naomi Ackie, the beautiful film captures the stars’ pivotal moments and biggest performances with great detail. Moments including her discovery, during a breathtaking performance for record exec. Clive Davis at a New York night club, to her bold 1983 rendition of “Home” on The Merv Griffin Show, and her unforgettable interpretation of the “Star Spangled Banner” at the 1991 Super Bowl. All of the performances by Ackie were spot on. Whitney Houston’s voice and presence loom large on the screen, and her powerful hit songs feel just as big and moving as the day she first sang them. Noami Ackie’s flawless lip sync to Houston’s famous voice, along with the re-creation of Houston’s gorgeous costumes and wigs, beautiful sets and venues, made each performance in the film an experience.
A Newark, NJ native, Whitney Houston became an international music superstar and actress. She had 7 consecutive #1 singles, more than any other solo artist, and was the first Black artist to have 3 Diamond Certified albums. She won 6 Grammy Awards, 22 American Music Awards, had 11 #1 hit singles, and the best selling soundtrack of all time with The Bodyguard (45 million copies sold). Produced by Houston’s mentor, recording executive Clive Davis, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody follows the pop singer’s rise to stardom, tumultuous life and marriage, drug use, and untimely death from a drug-related accidental drowning in February 2012.
From my first look at the trailer a few months ago, I wasn’t a fan of actress Naomi Ackie in the role of Whitney Houston. I did not think she had the stage presence or the glam-factor to fill the role. I still am not a total fan, but Ackie did an excellent job in the role. I didn’t completely “see” Whitney on the screen, since Ackie’s features stood out so strongly, especially her eyes, but I did “feel” Houston in Ackie’s mannerisms, movements and silhouette, and “hear” Houston in Ackie’s speaking voice.
With the power of Houston’s huge and loyal fan base, it is difficult for any actress to take on the huge task of portraying Whitney Houston on screen without criticism. Proving that biopics can work, past films that got it completely right, like Bohemian Rhapsody and House of Gucci, to name two, were praised for their dead-on casting choices and masterful makeup and prosthetics. These powerful actors fully transformed into their characters. When you saw them onscreen you did not see the actor, you only saw their character. Although i loved this film, I wish I saw that type of on-screen transformation with Ackie.
Ackie, 30, is a British actress known for her role in the heist film, The Score as well as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and the television shows The End of the F***ing World, Master of None, and Doctor Who.
Other stand out performances include Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones) who does a great job in the role of Clive Davis, Tamara Tunie, who we know from Law & Order SVU and Flight, is Houston’s Mom Cissy, and Nafessa Williams (Black Lightning) was a great choice for Robyn Crawford. Ashton Sanders (Moonlight) is Bobby Brown, Clarke Peters (The Wire, Da 5 Bloods) is Whitney’s father John Houston, Kris Sidberry (Detroit) is Pat Houston, Dave Heard is Rickey Minor, and Jaison Hunter (Wu Tang: An American Saga) is Jermaine Jackson.
The film is directed by Kasi Lemmons (Harriet, Eve’s Bayou) and produced by Clive Davis and Pat Houston and is in theaters December 23rd.
Directed by: Kasi Lemmons
Screenplay by: Anthony McCarten
Produced by: Denis O’Sullivan, Jeff Kalligheri, Anthony McCarten, Pat Houston, Clive Davis, Larry Mestel, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill, Matt Jackson, Christina Papagjika and Matthew Solloway
Executive Produced by: Naomi Ackie, Kasi Lemmons, William Earon, Marina Cappi, Erika Hampson, Josh Crook, Rachel Smith, Seth Spector, Dennis Casali, Janice Beard, Tanner Beard, Lexie Beard, Matthew Gallagher, Jane Bergere, Stella Meghie and Mackenzie O’Connell
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Clarke Peters, Kris Sidberry, Dave Heard, Jaison Hunter and Nafessa Williams
RELATED: Sony Releases Official Trailer for Whitney Houston Biopic ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ Starring Naomi Ackie
