Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Kasi Lemmons stands out among other musical biopics because it generously offers performance interludes rather than the typical irritating bits of the classics that leave you wanting more. It's appropriate that we hear this voice in all its full-throated majesty in a picture of the lady regarded as the greatest voice of her generation. Every vocal's strength, self-awareness, joy, and even spiritual wealth undoubtedly play a significant role in why this album feels more like a celebration of a timeless star who struggled with popularity than a tragic rise-and-fall story.

That doesn't mean Lemmons and screenwriter Anthony McCarten gloss over Houston's fall from grace or the demons that tormented her throughout her years in the spotlight despite their cornering the market in the musical bio-drama after Bohemian Rhapsody and the Neil Diamond Broadway jukebox assembly A Beautiful Noise. Here, that is all. However, the highs and lows are supported by a strong sense of respect, which will cheer the heart of any ardent supporter, like this one.

The second key strength in this film is Naomi Ackie's sincere, viscerally real performance as the lead. Although she doesn't look anything like Houston, she manages to replicate the late singer's brightness whether she's in charge of the stage or just relaxing out of the spotlight. The British actress skillfully bridges the gap between the audience and the troubled star. She connects with the unassuming Everywoman, both in the sense of the Chaka Khan cover and the sympathetic Jersey girl who made the necessary compromises to deal with international celebrity despite never feeling completely at ease with it.

It was unquestionably the appropriate choice to stay almost entirely with superbly remastered versions of Houston's original vocal tracks. By all accounts, Ackie is a talented singer; she can be heard briefly singing in choir with Houston's strict taskmaster mother Cissy (Tamara Tunie, fabulous); backing up her mother's performance at Sweetwater's in New York City; and singing solo in the same club during the apprehensive first few bars of "The Greatest Love of All" when Cissy makes the cunning decision to push her daughter out onstage by herself after spotting Arista Records.

Houston quickly gains confidence as Ackie and the music production crew make the transition into her roof-raising vocal smooth. Despite flawless lip-syncing throughout, Ackie is unmistakably singing since she is fully immersed in each song.

The truth is that Whitney Houston's voice is essential to any Whitney Houston biopic. Nobody can equal her peak-era expressiveness, lung power, apparent ease of modulation, and mountain-climbing key shifts. Her dance singles have a captivating vibrancy that makes it difficult for me to stay in my seat when a blockbuster cut enters "How Will I Know," and her ballads have a soul-stirring quality.

The story of Houston's early, spontaneous romance with Robyn Crawford (Nafessa Williams) may be the most moving one. It shows how her family's homophobic disapproval and the pressure to project a perfect "girl next door" image at the beginning of her career gradually overwhelmed Houston's initially straightforward acceptance of her sexuality. It's lovely to see Robyn roll her eyes when Whitney transforms for the music video, ditching the sweatshirt, trousers, and short hair for mini-dresses, Barbie makeup, and loose curls.