Directed by Kasi Lemmons (Black Nativity; Talk to Me; Harriet) and starring Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker; The Score; The Corrupted), Stanley Tucci (Spotlight; The Lovely Bones; The King's Man; Supernova), Ashton Sanders (Moonlight; The Equalizer 2; Straight Outta Compton), Clarke Peters (The Wire; John Wick; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Tamara Tunie (Flight; The Devil's Advocate) and Nafessa Williams (Black and Blue; True to the Game).

Biopic; 146 mins; 12+

The film celebrates the life and music of Whitney Houston (Naomi Ackie), one of the greatest female R&B pop vocalists of all time, tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.

While entertaining throughout, and focuses very much on her music, it also addresses her personal and professional life, touching on her business relationship with her manager Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci) and her personal relationship with both Robyn Crawford (Nafessa Williams) and Bobby Brown (Ashton Sanders) who she went on to marry. It references questions about her sexuality but goes further concerning taking drugs and showing how it affected her career and personal life.

Her mother, Cissi Houston (Tamara Tunie), and father, John Houston (Clarke Peters), feature prominently, with the former encouraging her and teaching her how to sing, recognising that her daughter had a remarkable talent, and the latter who was both strict and also appeared to abuse his position by spending his daughter's money. Their continuous involvement as the story of her life evolved on the screen illustrate that it was not only about her on-stage performances and persona.

Whitney Houston died ten years ago now, and there have been numerous biopics, documentaries and interviews, as well as books written by those close to her. This film does not offer and new insights into her life, but it does present a wonderful overview, including all her well-known songs, of her professional life, her myraid of accomplishments and her involvement in films. Purists may argue that it misses out other aspects of her life, but it already lasts 2 1/4 hours.

Naomi Ackie gives a spell-binding performance in the lead role, but it is Whitney Houston's voice that one hears singing. It is dramatic and emotional in equal mesaure.

This film is up there with the other recent biopics of Elvis, Elton John and Queen.

Whitney Houston will be remembered for her music.

Currently being screened at Kinepolis and CiNextDoor in Luxembourg