I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY movie review

I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY is directed by Kasi Lemmons. It stars Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters.

Whitney Houston rose to stardom in the 1980s. The daughter of singer Cissy Houston, her voice was undeniably powerful, and she set landmark records with her released music. The biopic follows her life from her younger years first getting signed to a record label to events that include her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown, the birth of her daughter, packing stadiums and events around the world, and her eventual untimely death in 2012.

Particularly following her passing, there have been no shortage of attempts at documentaries and biopics on the life of Whitney Houston (I’d previously reviewed a documentary film, simply called WHITNEY, back in 2018). Getting a sanctioned theatrically-released biopic of Houston was something I was looking forward to, despite her genre of music not being the kind I follow closest. The casting of Naomi Ackie as Houston is top-notch; she hits the high notes figuratively and literally. Production values are high, but the film barely scratches the surface and gives audiences a watered-down PG-13 version of this story when it needed to be the full-on R-rated take. I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY looks great and sounds great, but still manages to feel rushed despite its two-and-a-half hour running time. It’s good enough, but The Voice deserves better.

The casting of I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY is pretty solid, with Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston being the biggest standout. She manages to have the emotional range and adaptability to this part, and she’s certainly the shining light in this movie. In a supporting role is the always-entertaining Stanley Tucci as the record label mogul who signs Houston, and she manages to have plenty of highlights, particularly in his interactions with Ackie. While I admittedly wasn’t too familiar with much of the rest of the cast, I will say that everyone plays their roles as well as the material will allow.

The film also manages to recapture the eras it depicts, from a young Houston the 1980s, to gigs that include her performing at music awards show, the Super Bowl, the Nelson Mandela concert, and plenty of other tour dates. The movie looks and sounds spectacular, with plenty of Houston’s classic anthems taking center stage. I don’t own a single Whitney Houston album, but I’m certainly tempted to go out and purchase one after having seen this movie, wanting to delve deeper into the singer’s catalogue.

While there’s plenty to like about this movie, there’s unfortunately just about as much to dislike about it. It largely plays like a paint-by-numbers biopic with no real distinctive elements. The movie feels like it’s going through the motions, checking off the boxes and only covering the bare surface elements. The movie hints at elements like Whitney being accused of selling out, her troubled relationship with Bobby Brown, and struggles with addiction and need for rehab. Yet none of this material gets an in-depth emphasis, which is surprising given the lengthy running time. The movie seems more interested in telling us something happened than to delve into the deeper meaning of it all, and it suffers as a result.

I’m not claiming to be an expert on Whitney Houston by any means, but having seeing the WHITNEY documentary several years ago, I can easily say that this film omits some major elements. One aspect that doesn’t get a single mention is Houston starting her own production company (which was later rechristened as “BrownHouse” to appease her then-husband Bobby Brown). Also omitted from this film is anything from Houston’s pre-teen years and the abuse she endured during that time, an integral element that again doesn’t get a single mention here. That documentary (which was actually rated R and not given a watered-down PG-13 like this scripted film) tells Houston’s story much better and more thoroughly than what you’ll find on screen here despite Ackie’s great performance.

I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY is a serviceable paint-by-numbers biopic with great casting, great music, and great production values, but its inability to explore deeper themes or give us the real R-rated Whitney Houston life story we deserve works against the final product. It’s not without its redeeming qualities, but anyone wanting the real story should simply watch the WHITNEY documentary from 2018 instead.