Whitney: Can I Be Me
BAFTA-winning documentarian Nick Broomfield and music video director Rudi Dolezal trace the forces that contributed to Whitney Houston's shortened career.
Whether it be racism, religion, drugs, sexuality, self-doubt, gossip, rivalry, insufficient training, the demands of parents and the industry, a troubled marriage playing out in headlines, or the inevitable toll those stresses take from so muscular and passionate a singer, the directors leave nothing unturned. They create a picture of a remarkable woman who needed more help than she received and provide a wholly committed exploration of talent given and taken away, in an era obsessed with how that talent lives when the stage lights go down.
- Director:
- Nick Broomfield ('Kurt & Courtney', 'Tales of the Grim Sleeper', 'Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer')Rudi Dolezal ('Freddie Mercury, the Untold Story', 'Sarah Brightman: Harem - A Desert Fantasy')
- Writer:
- Nick Broomfield
- Cast:
- Whitney Houston
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Steve Newall
flicksStill probably best known over a decade later as the controversial documentary director of Kurt & Courtney and Biggie & Tupac, Nick Broomfield finds himself on seemingly familiar turf (alongside co-director Rudi Dolezal) with this look inside the turbulent, tragically short life of Whitney Houston.
Village Voice
pressAlthough it offers an astute analysis of how Clive Davis tailored Houston's sound and image to appeal to a white audience ... the film doesn't use enough of Houston's music.
Variety
press"Whitney: 'Can I Be Me'" has no conspiracies to uncover. It just has a story to tell, and it does that incredibly compellingly.
Screen Daily
pressWhitney 'Can I Be Me' delivers yet another tragic lesson in the toxic mix of fame and talent and children: it should be required viewing for all those who seek to follow this diva's path to fame and fortune.
Newsroom
pressHits some of the high notes, but, by missing the more personal touches, also somehow manages to put a few beats wrong.
IndieWire
pressThe film’s main triumph is in crafting a convincing narrative with a clear point of view.
Hollywood Reporter
pressHeavy on glib generalizations but light on sharp insights or juicy revelations.
Flicks, Steve Newall
flicksStill probably best known over a decade later as the controversial documentary director of Kurt & Courtney and Biggie & Tupac, Nick Broomfield finds himself on seemingly familiar turf (alongside co-director Rudi Dolezal) with this look inside the turbulent, tragically short life of Whitney Houston.
Village Voice
pressAlthough it offers an astute analysis of how Clive Davis tailored Houston's sound and image to appeal to a white audience ... the film doesn't use enough of Houston's music.
Variety
press"Whitney: 'Can I Be Me'" has no conspiracies to uncover. It just has a story to tell, and it does that incredibly compellingly.
Screen Daily
pressWhitney 'Can I Be Me' delivers yet another tragic lesson in the toxic mix of fame and talent and children: it should be required viewing for all those who seek to follow this diva's path to fame and fortune.
Newsroom
pressHits some of the high notes, but, by missing the more personal touches, also somehow manages to put a few beats wrong.
IndieWire
pressThe film’s main triumph is in crafting a convincing narrative with a clear point of view.
Hollywood Reporter
pressHeavy on glib generalizations but light on sharp insights or juicy revelations.
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