Movie reviews

WHITNEY

Recommended. She had everything going for her. Absolute pitch: when she unexpectedly had to cover for her mother, she was able to imitate all her movements on top of singing everything her way and years later she learnt the tune to perform at Superbowl after hearing it just once. She was a beauty too and worked as a model dreaming of singing. Robert de Niro was "chasing" the beautiful young budding singer as we hear in a TV podcast. Even if her mum was strict teaching her to sing, she did a tremendous job. The girl  was surrounded by a loving and supporting family and the church she loved going to. The church choir was her starting point but, unlike the talents in "Twenty Feet From Stardom", she made it. Her stardom gets a setting full of glamour of the 80s so her star shines all the brighter. Her musical mastery in the film impresses even me, who has never been a great fan of hers or the genre. Curiously drugs, alcohol and cigarettes (in this order) didn't do any damage to her voice for several years. But her childhood nightmare of "devil chasing her" came true on a number of occasions. First witness of her father's infidelity, she later tied a knot with Bobby Brown who, unable to handle living in the shadow of her success, quickly became unfaithful. He also painted demons and devils on the walls of his room. Pretending to be a happy family worked for the public eye but Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne Warwick's sister, abused sexually Whitney and her brother in childhood which damaged the singer in her prime years. Funnily, her family didn't like Whitney's true friend Robyn because she was gay. Whitney claimed never to have had sexual relations with her but the fear of homosexuality among her Christian family was greater than any suspicion of anyone within the family could be a true pervert. On top of that her actual father once filed a 100 m $ lawsuit against her. Interestingly, one person who truly understood her was Michael Jackson. You also learn of the black community's, including the Houstons', perception of "Bodyguard". Showing a black woman acting white, including falling into Kevin Costner's arms, just like white couples did in movies, presents the view known from "I Am Not Your Negro" - the black history was different and she was just a girl from the hood, like all others. In this light it's not surprising she fancied Bobbie Brown – a typical „nigger”. She had brilliant ideas for films which, due to her drug addiction, never saw a daylight, e.g.: "David and Bathsheba. Me and Mel Gibson." When her end was nigh, she knew she would die and was preparing for it, not scared. Her faith in God protected her at least from that.

THE LEISURE SEEKER

Recommended. Filled with love till the end. A dignified elderly couple go on their last road trip with adventures. Due to his memory lapses once he drives away without her. Another time thugs want to rob them off. The old gentleman is obsessed with his wife's... first boyfriend. She manifests her forgiveness for his trespasses. Acted wonderfully by Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. The journey takes them through varied landscapes of the United States casually showing the beauty of changing climate zones. On the other hand it highlights what happened to some of American symbols. Hemingway's house has become a wedding venue. The writer, who committed suicide, is no coincidence, he's central to the plot. The ending's very sad and left me depressed for the rest of the day.