amy
2015 review number 113:
Amy: (Documentary): 80 out of 100: I sure was a troubled, tortured soul during my time on Earth. Here is a warts and all exposé of my battle with alcohol and drugs. It's not all doom and gloom however, as there is an insight into my relationships with my family, friends and lovers. Even then, there is a tinge of sadness. I guess what made me happiest of all was my music. I wish I could have stayed out of the limelight and just let my music do the talking but the pressures and demands of fame won in the end.
My idols were Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington. In the opening scene, you can probably hear the Vaughan/Washington influence in the Moon River version I covered when I was 14 years old. I spent most of my teenage years hanging out with my best friends, Juliette Ashby and Lauren Gilbert. Those were the days when I could simply be myself. You will also meet my mum, Janis, and my dad, Mitch. They divorced when I was young so that probably led me to go off the rails before I was a teenager. I must have been a difficult child for my parents to raise so that's why I couldn't wait to move out of home. As soon as I secured my first record contract, I was outta there! My lovers also feature prominently including my two year marriage to Blake Fielder. That sure was a tempestuous union which included taking drugs together on a regular basis. It's the music that kept me going. I just loved to write and record songs. It was a thrill to have my music noticed around the world but the celebrity status was something I could have done without.
I must give credit to Asif Kapadia, the director of this documentary. He's also known for directing the documentary Senna. He has done his homework, poring over hundreds of hours of video footage. There's just the middle section that sags but then he brings the film back to life with all the problems I had with the paparazzi. I was just hounded by the press and he does a splendid job in capturing the downward spiral I found myself in. I loved the way he included some rare footage of what I was like before I became famous. Hopefully that will show everyone I wasn't the loony bin I was portrayed by many commentators and journalists during my battle with my demons.
My music sure did give me numerous memorable times. There were some treasured moments that Kapadia has shared with you including my Grammy wins for my Back to Black record in 2006. There's also the time when I recorded a song with my idol, Tony Bennett, for his Duets II album in 2011. There were several occasions when even my music didn't satisfy me including the time when I was certainly in no mood to perform a concert and you could see how dazed and confused I looked on stage. That was the last time I was seen on a stage and it was just so sad to hear my fans boo me. If only they knew how much trouble I was in.
Even if you aren't a fan of my music, you should see this documentary. It will show you that I was a normal person who simply wanted to be loved. Maybe I wasn't normal to you because of the excesses involved with fame, but that was my way to deal with the fame. I might have recorded only two albums but I hope that my music lives on.
Starring Amy Winehouse and friends
(128 minutes)
Parental advice: Coarse language, drug use and adult themes
Additional scene during or after credits: Yes, during the credits there are some videos of me performing some songs and there's also clips from home videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za3lZcrzzcM (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed by Amy Winehouse on Friday 7th August, 2015)
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