I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
12-11-22, 09:30 PM
#26
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Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
Based on the trailer, I’m sure they wanted to name it “I Will Always Love You,” but figured it didn’t make sense to give a biopic the title of another singer’s song, even if Houston’s version is arguably more iconic.
“I’m Every Woman” might have worked. I probably would have gone with her nickname, “The Voice,” but then you’re giving your movie the name of a popular TV show.
“I’m Every Woman” might have worked. I probably would have gone with her nickname, “The Voice,” but then you’re giving your movie the name of a popular TV show.
12-11-22, 09:59 PM
#27
DVD Talk Legend
Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
Crack is Whack: The Whitney Houston Movie would have been my choice.
12-11-22, 10:35 PM
#28
DVD Talk Legend
Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
Whitney Houston, We Have a Problem.
Is there anything really interesting to show if you don't include all the fucked up shit about her and her life?
Is there anything really interesting to show if you don't include all the fucked up shit about her and her life?
12-15-22, 09:20 AM
#29
Moderator
Thread Starter
Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
Owen Glieberman at Variety included it in his 2022 top 10 list: https://variety.com/lists/2022-best-...op-10-of-2022/
Here is another review that says it "does not shy away from Whitney’s romantic relationship with Robyn Crawford, or her increasing dependence on drugs" and "is no whitewash. It’s a balanced mix of dark and light."
https://www.showbiz411.com/2022/12/1...-with-somebody
The kind of lavish impassioned all-stops-out pop-music biopic you either give in to or you don’t — and if you do, you may find yourself getting so emotional, baby. As Whitney Houston, Naomi Ackie is far from the singer’s physical double, yet she nails the hard part: channeling her incandescence. She shows you the freedom that made Houston tick and the self-doubt that ate away at her, until she fell from the mountaintop she’d scaled. The director, Kasi Lemmons, creates a portrait of Houston’s dilemmas and demons that’s bracingly authentic, from the drugs to the family backstabbing to the love relationship with Robin Crawford (Nafessa Williams) that a homophobic society made her feel compelled to repress, from the attacks she weathered for her music being “not Black enough” to the self-destructive refuge she sought in her relationship with the sexy scurrilous lightweight Bobby Brown (Ashton Sanders). As Clive Davis, Stanley Tucci captures the Arista mogul’s bone-dry dictator-mensch savoir faire. Whitney gets dragged down by forces both in and outside her. Yet through it all, her voice, her songs, her artistry of faith shines like a rapturous light.
Here is another review that says it "does not shy away from Whitney’s romantic relationship with Robyn Crawford, or her increasing dependence on drugs" and "is no whitewash. It’s a balanced mix of dark and light."
https://www.showbiz411.com/2022/12/1...-with-somebody
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Throwing Copper (12-21-22)
12-15-22, 10:02 AM
#30
DVD Talk Legend
Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
^ That’s good to hear. 
12-21-22, 11:13 AM
#31
Moderator
Thread Starter
Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
Reviews coming out: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whi..._with_somebody
02-13-23, 01:50 PM
#32
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
Saw this over the weekend. Not terrible, but not great, way too much time spent on the performances. I never knew she had a relationship with a woman, I was surprised it was a major focus in beginning of movie.
I've never seen the documentary, really want to watch it now.
I've never seen the documentary, really want to watch it now.
02-13-23, 01:55 PM
#33
DVD Talk Legend
Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
Originally Posted by majorjoe23
I’m sure they wanted to name it “I Will Always Love You,” but figured it didn’t make sense to give a biopic the title of another singer’s song
“I’m Every Woman” might have worked.
“I’m Every Woman” might have worked.
That's another cover!"I'm Every Woman" was a Chaka Khan song.
02-13-23, 09:08 PM
#34
DVD Talk God
Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
Looks like this will be available for disc rentals February 28th at Redbox. I'll wait until then. I had no real desire to see this in the theater. Especially after how good the 2017 documentary was.
03-04-23, 04:28 PM
#35
DVD Talk God
Re: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022, D: Lemmons) S: Naomi Ackie -- Whitney Houston biopic
This came out on Red Box this weekend and I rented the BD last night. Surprisingly, it doesn't suck. But, it's very formulaic like most music bio pics. And they couldn't help but end the movie on a triumphant note. I'll get to that in a second.
But, I thought Naomi Ackie was actually good in this, even though she looks nothing like Whitney. She did a good job with the speaking, cadences and mannerisms. And she did well with the lip synching. In the bonus features, Ackie was interviewed has a big gap in her front teeth, so they definitely did some work to fix that in the movie.
The title of the movie literally makes no sense in the grand scheme of things. I wanna dance with Somebody was literally just referenced in 2 scenes. When she chose the song and when she filmed the music video. It would have been better called "The Greatest Love of all."
And they don't make this some completely sanitized version of her life. They go into her bisexuality and her same sex relationship with Robyn, which apparently went back many years, her drug and alcohol addiction, her con artist Dad who ripped her off of millions. They went a little into her shitty marriage to Bobby Brown. The actor who they got to play Brown was terrible though.
Lastly, as I said, they had to end it on a triumphant note. They jumped forward in the last act to 2012 and the day she died. She was basically washed up. She was going to perform at a party and then they briefly went to the scene where she was about to take a bath when she died, but as opposed to ending it on a somber note. They did a flashback to her big AMA medley in 1994 that got her a lot of acclaim and that's how they ended it. Her death due to drug addiction and accidental drowning was mentioned in the credits as her awards and acclaims.
Wasn't boring and definitely didn't suck. But it was pretty formulaic. I'd give it a B- and maybe 2.75 out of 5 stars.
The movie is about 145 minutes. But, it didn't really drag in any spots.
But, I thought Naomi Ackie was actually good in this, even though she looks nothing like Whitney. She did a good job with the speaking, cadences and mannerisms. And she did well with the lip synching. In the bonus features, Ackie was interviewed has a big gap in her front teeth, so they definitely did some work to fix that in the movie.
The title of the movie literally makes no sense in the grand scheme of things. I wanna dance with Somebody was literally just referenced in 2 scenes. When she chose the song and when she filmed the music video. It would have been better called "The Greatest Love of all."
And they don't make this some completely sanitized version of her life. They go into her bisexuality and her same sex relationship with Robyn, which apparently went back many years, her drug and alcohol addiction, her con artist Dad who ripped her off of millions. They went a little into her shitty marriage to Bobby Brown. The actor who they got to play Brown was terrible though.
Lastly, as I said, they had to end it on a triumphant note. They jumped forward in the last act to 2012 and the day she died. She was basically washed up. She was going to perform at a party and then they briefly went to the scene where she was about to take a bath when she died, but as opposed to ending it on a somber note. They did a flashback to her big AMA medley in 1994 that got her a lot of acclaim and that's how they ended it. Her death due to drug addiction and accidental drowning was mentioned in the credits as her awards and acclaims.
Wasn't boring and definitely didn't suck. But it was pretty formulaic. I'd give it a B- and maybe 2.75 out of 5 stars.
The movie is about 145 minutes. But, it didn't really drag in any spots.
Last edited by DJariya; 03-04-23 at 04:47 PM.
