This mythical title, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, is also the name of the film retracing the career of the talented American diva, Whitney Houston, in theaters since Wednesday.
Kasi Lemmons, director of this biopic, explains her approach: “His life boils down to a series of love stories. And I think that’s a nice way to look at it. A biography, you know, like the loves that person has had. It’s a way to tell the stories. You’re constantly looking for the prism through which you might interpret a story. For me, it was a series of interconnected love stories, sometimes at the same time. Some were problematic and some were were absolutely beautiful.”
The film is intended to be both a musical celebration and a sort of corrigendum to other past productions, having chosen a rougher approach to tracing the story of Whitney Houston.
British actress Naomi Ackie has been cast as icon Whitney Houston. Despite the pressure that this work represented, the young actress mastered this role brilliantly, she says:
“I just had to learn very quickly, to manage my stress. It was imperative for this role. And, you know, I think in general, shootings can be quite stressful sometimes, but this was personal and I mightn’t help but take some of those moments in her life personally, because you know, I’ve loved her for a very long time too. And then knowing that everyone I know loved her also, it was clear to me, at some point, you just have to forget regarding it, and focus on the job at hand.”
Music producer Clive Davis, who has worked closely with Whitney Houston and is also one of the producers of the new film, said he got chills watching Naomi Ackie’s stunning performance.
