In an exciting atmosphere, this movie chronicles the life story of Whitney, a famous singer, who once killed, the thing that leads many producers to make such a documentary film that embodies her life, depending on interviews with her family and friends about her relationships with them and her lifestyle.
As is often the case in documentaries like this, absorbing all those details as part of one, tightly edited story gives them an impact they lack when digested in individual pieces over time.
It's no surprise that Nick Broomfield finds little use for the moments of unabashed triumphalism in Houston's life, as he's doggedly fixated on the humiliating swan dive.
Whitney itself operates on two levels -- delivering another cautionary tale about the price of fame, but also a tribute to a voice so big and buoyant that it continues to echo long after her death.
While the documentary offers strong concert performances and an array of opinions on her enormous talent and tragic demise from those in her band, her entourage, friends and family, it contains no major revelations.
A surprisingly conventional, dutifully respectful behind-the-scenes portrait of Whitney Houston's rise and struggles with fame and drugs before her death at 48.
It crafts a heartbreaking narrative through found footage, including never-before-seen interviews, performances and clips that address everything from her intimate relationship with best friend Robyn Crawford to her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown.
