The movie chronicles the turbulent marriage between the iconic singer, actress, producer and model Whitney Houston who skyrockets to fame and R&B artist Bobby Brown from the time they first met at the very height of their celebrity.
There's something pure and insightful about how [Angela] Bassett's camera looks at this couple as they flirt, rut, marry, fight, talk about their careers, and experience wild ups and downs, including moments of professional resentment or jealousy.
It's not bad, thanks largely to a stellar performance by YaYa DaCosta and modestly successful direction by actress Angela Bassett, making her directorial debut.
Here's the thing, as far as standard Lifetime movies go, this was a decent film. But the question is, does Whitney Houston deserve just 'decent,' or does she deserve an HBO miniseries, or a Hollywood film?
This story is limited in range, refuses to test any boundaries and is content to remain in a safe middle range without ever soaring to heights that might thrill. And because of that, not even the most devoted Whitney Houston fan will always love this.
Working from a script by Shem Bitterman, Bassett manages to make both of her leads relatively sympathetic, and to keep the story moving even when not a lot is happening.
While neither overly salacious or reverent, Whitney ... lacks dynamism in telling the tale of a very dynamic life, and falls short of illuminating anything about Houston that both diehard fans and casual observers of pop culture didn't already know.
