Whitney

A documentary about Whitney Houston. The narrative begins in Newark. Her mother Cissy Houston is a professional singer and leads a church choir. Whitney builds her voice there. What follows is very fast: she starts as a model, a record deal comes, the first album breaks records, and overnight she is among the best-selling artists in the world. The film describes the price of that rise. The family works like a company; her father manages, her siblings work the tours, and everyone's income depends on her. The marriage to Bobby Brown, the drugs and the constant attention of the press fill the second half. What separates it from other documentaries is the family's participation. Her mother, her siblings and close staff speak. The most-discussed section comes near the end: two family members describe abuse in her childhood, and that account was made public with the film. Kevin Macdonald directed. The narrative rests on archive: concert recordings, home video and backstage footage. A comprehensive production for anyone who likes music documentary. Before you watch, know this: the film takes addiction and abuse as direct subjects and its last section is heavy.