The Worst Film Ever

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Although I always admired Whitney Houston's incredible talent, I was never a huge fan of her music. However, once her death was announced, it saddened me more than any other famous person who had died. Maybe because we are both about the same age, or maybe because someone so beautiful and so talented left us in such a tragic way.Living in New Jersey (where she had a house), there were always rumors about her sexuality. I always thought her inability to "come out" was the primary reason for her sadness and drug use,and ultimately her death. But after watching this movie, it seems that there are multiple reasons, including her adjustments from a poor life to a wealthy life, her early drug addictions that continued, and her family members who didn't have her best interests in mind. I never thought Bobby Brown was the primary reason for her downfall, which seems to be supported by this documentary.All in all, a very sad documentary, but if you're interested in Whitney Houston's story, it's a definite must-see.

Nick Broomfield tends to make controversial documentaries. He usually turns up with a camera and a boom mike and ensures chaos unfolds.Whitney: Can I Be Me is a departure from Broomfield's usual documentary style. Using archive footage as well as interviewing some people who worked or were close to Whitney we see a person who came up from gospel singing and crossed over to pop and made it big in the USA and around the world.In 1992 when she got an acting role in The Bodyguard, her profile went to the stratosphere. The film was a commercial hit, the songs became best sellers. Whitney's cover of I Will Always Love You has become an enduring hit.Yet in 1992 she also married singer Bobby Brown despite some years of rumours about her sexuality. Brown was riding high as a pop star at the time, the general consensus was this was a union that would not last.The trouble was it led to Houston going on a destructive path. Keen to hide her sexuality, wanting a child, her conflict with her and her family's deep religious convictions. Houston increasingly found solace in drugs as Brown and Houston engaged in wild living, he was also having affairs and she also had her own special friend in Robyn Crawford.Undoubtedly this is a sad documentary. A life wasted and cut short. We see footage of another documentary that was shot in 1999 which followed Whitney in her last major world tour. After that her recording output declined, so did her voice but her erratic behaviour increased.I think Broomfield himself liked her, hence a rather respectful approach. As her long term bodyguard commented, Whitney could had been saved but those around her were not interested in keeping her off drugs.

I do not understand the bad mention this documentary has received. It is actually quite good. Whitney Houston was one of the biggest pop stars in the 80's and in the 90's. Maybe one of the greatest ever? She was a mega star. A pop queen. This documentary basically takes a look into her tragic life, documenting her way down. The film is good in that it both depicts the backside of the fame, but also gives an insight into a person with bad self-esteem, dealing with people who was dependent on her money, but had no love for her. Those who tried to take care of her, was pushed away. It shows brutally that fame and money do not give any happiness, but leads to inhumane pressure from many teams. Whitney Houston's life ended tragically, but luckily the film also shows that she was a great artist, a natural talent and who also took a fair amount of choice. Good or bad ones. What made the deepest impression of the film,is the insight of her unhappiness. It's heartbreaking. This film is very honest in this way. Those who take part, really have insight in different ways. The only person missing is Robin Crawford. Her best friend who suddenly left her, and stays silent. For Whitneys part, I hope she had more happiness and joy in her short life than what this film shows.

Rudi Dolezal was born the same year as me, 1958, and I know his work very well, he's a veteran of documentaries about great bands and big musicians plus the creator of numerous musical clips. He made films about huge names like: Queen, The Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa, Falco, Sandra, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Can, Sarah Brightman, Bon Jovi, Scorpions, Bad Company, David Bowie, Michael Jackson. Also, Rudi Dolezal made "Freddie Mercury, the Untold Story" (2000), a documentary that I immediately thought about watching this film about Whitney Houston, because both documentaries give us less known details about two of the greatest singers in the world history, two huge talents, two unique voices, two tragic destinies. Here, we find out about Whitney that she was actually a drug addict since adolescence, that she was emotional unstable and bisexual. Like the great Mozart, who died even younger, both Whitney Houston and Freddie Mercury, were some giants of Music but, in their private life, very very fragile human beings and two self-destructive souls.