Don't cry for me. “The greatest evil is myself. I am either my best friend or my sworn enemy. A phrase Whitney said in an interview with ABC in 2002. This picture, if not in full, but will try to answer why the singer could so declare himself.
A good, high-quality film (except for clumsy moments with “special effects”, which are especially striking in HD format) about the fate and formation of the singer – Whitney Houston. After the controversial, "unofficial" television production ("Whitney", 2014) from Angela Bassett, it can be considered that the tribute to the legendary singer is paid, especially in the run-up to the year in which she could turn 60.
Promising actress Naomi Aki is diligent and very convincing in her role. She manages to count the image of Whitney (Nippy, as her family and friends were called). Much work was done in the part where Houston performs on stage, Aki was able to convey many of the nuances of Whitney’s live performances. Those who remember the singer well will be able to find scenes close to themselves and personally see it. I think that, despite the different appearances, Naomi is in his place in this film. And if the similarity of the actress and the real singer is relative, then the main thing that complements the image is the use of the original vocals of Houston. This is all about it, as Nippi was the incarnation of The Voice in her lifetime. This is one of the undoubted advantages of this film (unlike another film, where the songs of the singer were very mediocrely covered, catching up with Houston is utopia!). Whitney’s incredible vocals are abundantly represented in the film and sometimes you can even get the impression that you are watching not a film about her, but a concert by the singer herself. Live performances, recording songs in the studio and shooting clips in the film allotted enough time.
I also liked the way her mother is shown, perhaps after Whitney herself, it is the most successful and close to reality image in the picture. The image of that powerful woman, without whom Whitney herself would not exist, and, despite the difficult relationship between mother and daughter, in many ways, it is Sissy Houston that the world heard and loved such an incredible singer. Although Whitney was more of a father's daughter, the relationship with his father is shown coldly, with an emphasis on the purely selfish motives of profiting from communication with his daughter.
The wonderful Stanley Tucci, a great actor, complimentaryly played the role of Clive Davis (producer Whitney, on whose label she began and ended her professional career), adding more sensitivity and soulfulness to his image than it actually was.
The singer's husband received a little attention in the film. Only years later, he admitted his mistakes in the marriage, also noting that if the most loyal and loyal person in Whitney’s life – a close friend of Robin Crawford was there, this tragedy in February 2012 could not have happened. The actress for the role of Robin was selected very well.
The role of some people in the life of Whitney Houston in the film is clearly embellished. In general, this is more a picture based on motives than a literal guide to the real life of the singer. Today there are enough books from the people closest to the singer. Many questions were answered. And yet, fiction takes place in the film, there are confusions and inconsistencies. But is this important for the viewer who is not aware of all the vicissitudes and “nuances” of Whitney’s turbulent life?
The real Whitney was known only to those closest to her, and the image of the American princess was just a public role that Whitney played her entire life. But she really loved her fans. She has always been sincere and honest in communicating, speaking to her audience at concerts.
Of the significant drawbacks, I would note that very little attention has been paid to how religious Whitney was. It is not shown how she helped people and participated in charity. And quite sorry for the screen time relationship with his daughter, who tragically died under similar circumstances three years after the departure of the singer.
In my opinion, you need to create mini, but series about artists. The main drawback of the biopic genre is that it is simply impossible to fit the entire fate of an artist / group, with all the facts and events from life, into one film. And in this picture, you can see this, because the narrative is in gallop mode, trying to fit about thirty creative years in 2.5 hours of screen time. There is a certain drive and there are no sagging, frankly boring moments (a matter of taste), but much still remains unsaid, and something interesting is generally missed. A very ungrateful genre, always let someone not please - fans will be indignant from the mistakes made in the film, and a trip to the cinema to someone who is not particularly interested in this or that artist or group will depend on word of mouth and rating. So here, the fees speak for themselves. The film was only watched by fans of the singer. It didn’t take long for people to really miss the singer. Or, on the contrary, it was missed.
The film and made more for fans. People for whom Whitney is a singer of two or three songs, most likely, will not be interested in watching it. Despite the share of the same fiction, it is largely based on facts from the history of her life, which are known by those who were interested in the fate of the singer, and for the average viewer, something will not be quite clear after watching. But if you are at all interested in Whitney Houston and you often put her songs, then the film is worth watching, after it there will be a feeling of light sadness. Definitely you will enjoy the most important – songs performed by Nippi. All of Whitney's performances were reproduced almost exactly as it actually happened. And, if you want, you will have the opportunity to compare the work of the film team and the original, in my opinion, this is very interesting.
Whitney Houston left, but left a memory of herself as a man of great heart and soul and one of the most gifted vocalists in the history of popular music. Rest in peace, Nippy.
When I'm gone
See, life still, life still carries on, oh yes.
Don't cry for me
Don't shed a tear
Don't cry for me. .