The Oscar-winning documentary is an intimate portrayal of the icon’s life.
The Big Picture
- Amy Winehouse’s legacy is best understood through her music and the documentary
Amy
, which paints a humanizing picture of her struggles and brilliance. - Asif Kapadia’s documentary avoids falling for exploitative biopics like
Back to Black
that focus on sensationalism rather than honoring Winehouse’s artistry. -
Amy
captures Winehouse’s vulnerable side, struggles with addiction, and remarkable talent, leaving a lasting impression of the iconic artist.
She had a voice that captured the world and became a star whether she liked it or not. Amy Winehouse is often considered one of the greatest singers of all time, and one of the most influential voices of the 21st century. A British blues, jazz, and R&B singer, Winehouse passed away at the age of 27 at the height of her fame in 2011 after a long battle with alcoholism. The 2015 Oscar-winning documentary, Amy, is an extraordinary tour de force that touches upon every corner of the singer’s life and paints an honest picture of a woman in need. The documentary, directed by Asif Kapadia, received praise for its unflinching portrait of the singer. Amy is a film interested in understanding its subject, and while it inevitably lingers on the heartbreaking struggle she went through in her final years, it portrays her as a human rather than a sensation — which can’t be said for every film based on the singer’s life.
Struggling with alcoholism, bulimia, and depression for most of her adult life, her tragic death has remained immortalized for the millions of fans who came to fall in love with her music. Still a raw subject for many, Winehouse has recently been put under the spotlight again. The new music biopic, Back to Black, has just hit theaters in the United States. Starring Marisa Abela as Winehouse, and directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, the film dramatizes the singer’s life and veers into exploitative territory through her troubling vices. To really understand Winehouse’s brilliance as a singer-songwriter and human being, the documentary Amy is the only right avenue to go down.
Amy
Archival footage and personal testimonials present an intimate portrait of the life and career of British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse.
- Release Date
- July 3, 2015
- Director
- Asif Kapadia
- Cast
- Amy Winehouse , Yasiin Bey , Mark Ronson , Pete Doherty , Mitch Winehouse , Blake Fielder-Civil
- Runtime
- 90
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Studio
- A24 / Focus Features International
- Tagline
- The girl behind the name.
Why Did They Make an Amy Winehouse Biopic?
Too often, biopics are made without warranting their own existence beyond being a quick cash grab, and most of these films end up doing a disservice to the real-life figures they mean to portray. Given the shoddy reputation of biopics, it’s unsurprising that, when photos of the Winehouse biopic Back to Black first surfaced online, a landslide of backlash ensued. Fans and critics quickly condemned the very existence of the biopic and the outright lack of resemblance between Winehouse and star Marisa Abela. One tweet, captioning the photos with “this is fucking revolting” amassed over 35,000 likes, and many more have weighed in with similar criticisms of the biopic’s first images. The complaints around the fictionalized, very un-Winehouse-looking Winehouse, though valid and well-aimed, are somewhat beside the point. What, if anything, could such a picture possibly add to the conversation about the icon, besides contributing further to the sensationalism that pervaded the years leading up to her death? The short answer: nothing. Pretty much anything you’d want to know about Winehouse’s life can be found through her music and Amy.
‘Amy’ Reveals a Tender, Intimate Portrait of an Artist and a Woman
If the perception of Winehouse as a drug-addled rockstar whose life was one of unmatched volatility is an indelible part of her legacy, Amy thankfully succeeds in conveying the complexity of such a side to the singer. The film condemns the media for its obsession with Winehouse, and its particular portrayal of her as a problematic woman who liked to party, in addition to her family’s inability to help her. Kapadia conducted hundreds of interviews for the film, notably with Winehouse’s idol, Tony Bennett, close friend Juliette Ashby, father, Mitchell Winehouse, ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, music producer Mark Ronson, roommate Tyler James, and close friend and former manager Nick Shymansky to name a few. Debuting rare footage of Winehouse as a child including footage of her performing a riveting version of “Happy Birthday” as a teen, it was clear she was bound for something greater than her life in Southgate, London.
‘Back to Black’ Hits All the Wrong Notes at the Global Box Office
People just won’t go, go, go to watch the new Amy Winehouse biopic.
Director Kapadia calls out the toxicity of the media during the height of her fame and various struggles, featuring brutal footage of Winehouse being hounded by paparazzi, often when she was with Fielder-Civil. Exploring the depth of her sadness and battle with depression in addition to her music, Amy includes a scene with an audio recording of Winehouse explaining her depression, and how music was her saving grace, “I don’t think I knew what depression was. I knew I felt funny sometimes, and I was different. I think it’s a musician thing, and that’s why I write music. You know I’m not like some messed-up person, like, there’s a lot of people that suffer with depression that don’t have outlets.”
Amy succeeds in portraying its subject because it doesn’t forget such beauty. After facing the star’s untimely demise, the film ends powerfully with footage of her at her most lively. She’s there, full of life, an uncompromising personality that very much could not be replicated. About halfway through the film, footage of Winehouse walking around the city suddenly slows down. It lingers on her, eyes closed, basking in the sunlight. It’s a beautiful, peaceful moment that shows this iconic artist as a human being. It’s the Amy we should remember.
‘Amy’ Keeps Its Focus on the Icon and Her Music, Instead of the Drama
In Amy, her husband, and her father are both shown to be insensitive, manipulative men, but neither is portrayed as an outright villain. —the movie isn’t about them. It’s Amy’s picture, and they’re merely playing a part in it. They may be necessary parts of Winehouse’s story, and Amy knows better than to completely gloss over their part in her life. Still, it also avoids focusing too heavily on any drama or intrigue that results from their input in her life. As the film pieces together Winehouse’s nature as a true musical genius, it makes it clear she began to struggle long before toxic men entered her life, and was not defined by them.
Part of Amy‘s main focus is the making of her Grammy-award-winning album, Back to Black. Winehouse wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, some with producer and friend, Mark Ronson. The behind-the-scenes footage of Winehouse and Ronson recording in the studio pays particular attention to the titular track on the album. The song “Back to Black,” a somber break-up hit that details the toxic relationship Winehouse found herself in with Fielder-Civil, is widely considered one of the greatest break-up songs of all time. The scene in the studio features a downcast Winehouse singing the vocals in the studio, with Ronson in the booth sitting at the switchboard. In Amy, Ronson reflects on witnessing Winehouse write her most well-known song, “She would tell me stories about Blake, and this tempestuous, extreme relationship. That first day, she wrote “Black to Black,” all the melody and all of the lyrics, in two to three hours.” As a subdued Winehouse stands in the music booth singing, it couldn’t be more engrossing as she wields her voice like a weapon to convey heartbreak.
Towards the end of Amy, Winehouse records a duet of “Body and Soul,” her last song ever, with idol Tony Bennett, who also announced her Grammy win back in 2008. She stops in self-conscious dissatisfaction with her performance. “I don’t want to waste your time,” she says to Bennett sheepishly, in a moment of utter vulnerability. He softly urges her on with fatherly patience. It’s a single scene that encapsulates many traits of what made Winehouse who she was: emotional, humble, and supremely talented. Reflecting on her inner turmoil and death in the documentary, Bennett remarked, “Life teaches you really how to live it, if you live long enough.”
Amy Winehouse Deserves to Be Remembered in the Right Way
Amy Winehouse’s story is worth telling, and Amy is a sobering insight into the genius behind the hits. It exposes the toll of stardom, especially for female artists, and the loneliness of a woman who found solace in her greatest love — music. Amy asks for sympathy for an artist who was unfairly treated by the same entertainment industry that gave her success, a story too often told. Including footage from rare performances, there are some hard watches in the film, as Winehouse’s concerts gradually become marred by her alcoholism. But what is more shocking is that as she stumbles around on stage, or needs to sit down from exhaustion, no one comes to her aid to help.
Changing the trajectory of music forever, and becoming the first British woman in 20 years to have a number-one album in America, Winehouse should be remembered for her artistry, her fun and humble personality, and most importantly, her devotion to music that comforted millions.As Back to Black hits theaters, consider revisiting Amy instead. No biopic will do her justice, and her music is potent enough to speak for itself. Winehouse hated being a spectacle and didn’t like to be under the spotlight. In her own words, “I’m not a girl trying to be a star. I’m just a girl that sings.”
Amy is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
This article was originally published on collider.com