The tragic life of British soul queen Amy Winehouse, who died from alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27,is the subject of a new documentary byBAFTA-winningSennadirector Asif Kapadia and commissioned by Universal Music.
Kapadia grew up in the same North London suburb of Camden where Winehouse lived, and felt compelled to tell the story behind the gifted artist who disintegrated in plain sight. Amy opened to widespread acclaim at Cannes this year but has drawn plenty of criticism from the singer’s family who have since distanced themselves from the film, claiming it “is both misleading and contains some basic untruths”.
Kapadia wisely does away with talking heads in the film. Instead, he relies on creating a patchwork of footage from chat shows and awards events, married with private home videos and testimonies, that beautifully illustrates the changing nature of the singer’s experience in both private and public life.
The director masterfully accentuates the mystery in the young singer’s voice. Winehouse was a rare and confounding talent – an old soul living in a young woman’s body complemented by the rich vocal tones of the likes of Sarah Vaughan, whom she grew up listening to. She comes across as eloquent and passionate, streetwise and curt, and both loving and distant. Talk show host Jonathan Ross is shown congratulating her on sounding “common” whilst Tony Bennett recalls her as ‘the truest artist I ever heard”. How did Winehouse see herself? “The more people see of me, the more they’ll realise all I’m good for is making music.”
There is little if any analysis throughout the film, as Kapadia presents a number of sources, encouraging viewers to draw their own conclusions. Managers, advisers, promoters and colleagues all awkwardly deny responsibility for Winehouse’s premature descent into drugs and exhaustion, whilst her father Mitch comes under the most scrutiny for advising her against going to rehab. Winehouse was desperate to find a stable male figure in her life, and her destructive relationship with husband Blake Fielder-Civil only exacerbated insecurities around her mental health and ultimately introduced her to substance abuse. In the end, it was Winehouse’s growing notoriety that fuelled her life becoming tabloid fodder for the UK press when things inevitably began to unravel in public view.
Amy is an overwhelming tale and completely compelling viewing, despite knowing how the story ends. At times it’s a difficult watch but no less an important one.
4.5/5 stars
Amy is showing at Dendy Newtown on Friday June 5 and Event Cinemas George St on Saturday June 6 as part of Sydney Film Festival 2015.
