Perfectly adorable

Overrated and overhyped

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

This documentary is not so much an homage to an amazing lady with a god given voice, but a honest look behind the limelight scenes: a woman trying her best to keep it all together. Although we all know how the story ends, this picture takes us back to the start. We see her star rising: albums, shows, world tours, movies, awards. Stock material mixed with many personal videos show us how success brings fortune and fame but also pressure, uncertainty and anxiety. Close friends and family share their personal thoughts about these high and low periods.

Nick Broomfield tends to make controversial documentaries. He usually turns up with a camera and a boom mike and ensures chaos unfolds.Whitney: Can I Be Me is a departure from Broomfield's usual documentary style. Using archive footage as well as interviewing some people who worked or were close to Whitney we see a person who came up from gospel singing and crossed over to pop and made it big in the USA and around the world.In 1992 when she got an acting role in The Bodyguard, her profile went to the stratosphere. The film was a commercial hit, the songs became best sellers. Whitney's cover of I Will Always Love You has become an enduring hit.Yet in 1992 she also married singer Bobby Brown despite some years of rumours about her sexuality. Brown was riding high as a pop star at the time, the general consensus was this was a union that would not last.The trouble was it led to Houston going on a destructive path. Keen to hide her sexuality, wanting a child, her conflict with her and her family's deep religious convictions. Houston increasingly found solace in drugs as Brown and Houston engaged in wild living, he was also having affairs and she also had her own special friend in Robyn Crawford.Undoubtedly this is a sad documentary. A life wasted and cut short. We see footage of another documentary that was shot in 1999 which followed Whitney in her last major world tour. After that her recording output declined, so did her voice but her erratic behaviour increased.I think Broomfield himself liked her, hence a rather respectful approach. As her long term bodyguard commented, Whitney could had been saved but those around her were not interested in keeping her off drugs.

I do not understand the bad mention this documentary has received. It is actually quite good. Whitney Houston was one of the biggest pop stars in the 80's and in the 90's. Maybe one of the greatest ever? She was a mega star. A pop queen. This documentary basically takes a look into her tragic life, documenting her way down. The film is good in that it both depicts the backside of the fame, but also gives an insight into a person with bad self-esteem, dealing with people who was dependent on her money, but had no love for her. Those who tried to take care of her, was pushed away. It shows brutally that fame and money do not give any happiness, but leads to inhumane pressure from many teams. Whitney Houston's life ended tragically, but luckily the film also shows that she was a great artist, a natural talent and who also took a fair amount of choice. Good or bad ones. What made the deepest impression of the film,is the insight of her unhappiness. It's heartbreaking. This film is very honest in this way. Those who take part, really have insight in different ways. The only person missing is Robin Crawford. Her best friend who suddenly left her, and stays silent. For Whitneys part, I hope she had more happiness and joy in her short life than what this film shows.

I saw this at the Sydney Film Festival where both showings for this documentary were sold out.The documentary is a mixed bag. It is at times insightful, at times exploitative and sensationalist, and at other times thrilling to see Whitney performing in concert and seeing her backstage.There are a few concert footage songs and they are amazing! Even Whitney singing in her hotel room is amazing. This is footage from her 1999 "My Love Is Your Love" tour, showing concert and backstage footage, and life on the road with some of her crew, including husband Bobby Brown and her best friend Robyn Crawford. This glimpse into her life is interesting and gives some rare insight.The rest of the film is largely interviews with people who worked with Whitney, such as her bodyguard, hairdresser, and band members etc., and it is spliced with footage that Whitney fans most likely have already seen but others probably haven't.The documentary wouldn't be much without the concert footage and it is lucky to have it. That is where we see and hear Whitney's music. The most interesting part is actually seeing Whitney. Other footage they could get of Whitney is from shows like MTV or the American Music Awards.The talking head interviews are with people who knew Whitney and they provide their own opinions. They are ultimately their own opinions. It is up to the viewer to decide whether they believe them or not. But they did work with and know Whitney to some extent. Their opinions range from their thoughts on her husband Bobby, to her sexuality, to her family, and to drugs.The cinema audience I was with applauded at the end.The most I got out of it was the concert footage performances, what there was of it. It was fantastic to see and hear on the big screen. I could've watched 2 hours of that.I do feel I have more of an idea of Whitney and her life as an artist and public figure after watching this. Ultimately, though, what stays with you is the music. The performances. Whitney.