Whitney: Can I Be Me

I really don't see why this was given such a low rating. The documentary was done very tastefully. We all know Whitney had a drug problem but they didn't try to smear her legacy by showing all of negative things that were going on. I've watched many specials before and after she died but there were things in this documentary that I had never seen or heard before. That in itself says a lot. I would watch again one day. The biggest thing I'm left feeling is, I wish Bobbi Kris would have lived longer. Obviously I wish both of them would have but I can only imagine how much Whitney would have wanted Bobbi to flourish, be happy and live a wonderful life. It's all so very tragic. If you have ever been a fan of Whitney's I recommend you watch it. I don't think it's anything at all like the negative reviews are saying b

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.

The stage curtains open ...

I just finished watching and reviewing the other documentary on Whitney Houston simply titled "Whitney" (2018) - and felt compelled to watch this one as well. I think the aforementioned documentary was better made and more detailed. But what I really appreciated about this one was the concert footage, and the behind-the-scenes / backstage footage as well.

When Whitney came off stage and went to the make-up/hair booth to catch a breather, and I saw the tears in her eyes and the drain and toll it was all taking on her, my heart broke for her. She really did pour everything she had into her singing, emotionally, physically and spiritually. And then she managed, somehow, to get it together in time to go back out on stage and finish the show.

There is just so much that went wrong in Whitney's life. Some blame Bobby Brown, others her Mom, others her Dad, others Robyn, and still yet others the time she was living in and what was socially acceptable and not acceptable. I guess I'm one who believes it was a combination and culmination of all of the above. I am also one who believes that we are all better for having had her in our lives, in whatever respect that may be.

I enjoyed this documentary. It was honest, fair and presented in an unbiased way. It is worth watching, if only to remember the heart of gold that Whitney always had - even during her inner conflict and pain. She always had that.

We got the perfection with the bumps. I found this to be very respectful and I appreciated it greatly. What a fantastic talent who was a woman-- human. Gone too soon, like far too many others.

I actually watched the 2018 documentary simply titled Whitney just the other day and when I mentioned it to someone he thought I was talking about this documentary, so I decided to watch it.

This documentary is decidedly less depressing though it still brings you down. There's quite a bit of concert footage and a focus on Whitney's final successful tour which was in 1999. Of course this documentary, like this year's documentary, is mostly exploring what went wrong. We always want answers when a tragedy occurs and Whitney's death was tragic. Many hypotheses are given but there is no way to really know.