Showtime’s Whitney Houston documentary offers intimate look at the singer’s life

Showtime premieres its documentary, “Whitney: Can I Be Me” Friday, August 25. The intimate look at the singer’s life while on one of her last tours across Europe in 1999 and tells the story of how drugs led to her fall from grace and her ultimate death through the eyes of those who know her well including her former bodyguard, David Roberts, and the tour’s musical director Michael Baker to name a few.

We see Houston’s thoughts through interviews and first person accounts of key moments in her life during that tour. It gives a real look at how Houston herself deals with life in the spotlight. Her memorable line the in film, “Sucess doesn’t change you, fame does” seems to describe the singer’s life so poignantly.

Houston’s controversial relationship with friend and confidant at the time Robyn Crawford is explored as well. It should be noted that Whitney Houston was one of the most successful female recording artists of all time, but after a troubled marriage to singer Bobby Brown and many years of struggles with addiction, Houston died suddenly and tragically at age 48. With never seen before behind the scenes footage, candid interviews and gripping performance footage – including many of Houston’s greatest hits – “Whitney.”

Directed by acclaimed BAFTA Award winner Nick Broomfield (Kurt & Courtney) with Rudi Dolezal, the film explores Whitney’s central dilemma: even though she had made millions of dollars, had more consecutive number ones than The Beatles and was recognized as having one of the greatest voices of all time, she still couldn’t do what she wanted to do, either professionally or in her personal life.