One could argue there wasn’t a pressing need for a Whitney Houston biopic, given that in the decade since Houston’s tragic passing at the age of 48, we’ve seen a plethora of TV specials, documentaries such as “Whitney: Can I Be Me?” and “Whitney,” the Lifetime biopic “Whitney” and a thinly veiled Netflix film called “Beauty” that was clearly inspired by Houston. And we can easily Google and find footage of Whitney’s iconic performances, from her TV debut on “The Merv Griffin Show” at age 18 through her legendary rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 1991 Super Bowl to her live performance of a trio of songs at the 1994 American Music Awards, plus all those music videos…
And yet. In a year when both Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley were the subjects of factionalized biographies for the umpteenth time, why not Whitney? Unlike the dazzling and dizzying “Elvis” and the exploitative and nightmarish “Blonde,” director Kasi Lemmons’ “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is the most straightforward, linear, by-the-numbers treatment imaginable — a veritable “Film-ipedia” entry that is more tribute than eulogy, more celebration than lamentation.
