Have You STILL Not Seen This??
Ok, I see a lot of movies. A lot. In the theatres.
Occasionally with others. Most often by myself. Daytime, nighttime, in New York, on the road, on vacation. Whenever and wherever I can basically.
It’s how I unwind, how I reward myself, how I kill time (if I have any say in the matter), one of the most sure-fire ways to relax, and one of the only ways I can reliably get outside of my own head.
Amy was probably the best movie I saw in 2015. Considering I see probably an average of about a movie a week (yes, in the theatres), this is saying a lot.
And what made my experience of it even more remarkable – and enjoyable – was that I wasn’t expecting much of anything at all.
I hadn’t heard any hype, hadn’t read any reviews. (I never do, because they almost always piss me off). I did it same as I always do, saw the trailer or saw a billboard or an ad somewhere and decided I wanted to see it.
In this case, it was one of my favorite niche movie genres (music doc) and it minorly piqued my interest. Just enough to get me into the theatre, which, as outlined above, doesn’t take much.
It had nothing to do with being a fan. I never was a fan of her music.
Not because I didn’t think what I had heard was good, but because the “stylization” / 60’s throwback genre-ness of it never did it for me.
I knew she had a great voice and was allegedly “very talented.” But beyond that, Amy Winehouse never came into my mind or reality.
I am so glad I went to see this movie. It’s simply a heartbreaking story.
(General, over-arching spoiler alert; i.e. no plot but gist of the whole thing – next 2 little paragraphs)
In a way it’s like an E Hollywood Story in terms of the shaky, home-video style footage shot by her life’s insiders, and the somewhat one-sided narrative spin job.
But mostly, it’s an exemplification of how a person with a less than solid emotional foundation gets in over her head, and crumbles.
(End of general spoiler)
The sad part is just how real and how human this person appears to have been.
Which is what was most striking to me, who (like most people I would imagine) only knew her by the oversized, stylized image she projected to and through the mass media during her brief public career.
And saying she was a talented singer is kind of an understatement.
(One specific spoiler – this next paragraph only)
After watching over and over as this stunning talent does apparently the only thing that was easy and natural for her – sing – by the time Tony Bennett says, towards the end of the movie, that he considers her one of the all-time great female jazz singers, right alongside Billy Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, you are in complete agreement.
(No spoilers here on out)
The next day I downloaded and listened to the full Back to Black album. It was beautiful. And without a doubt, the lyrical content took on a heightened significance to me.
Like so much else in culture, our society, and our world, it’s just an awful shame.
But also, extremely beautiful.
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thanks David. i’ve shared this with my good friend Carmen, who loved Amy! your review (and i didn’t read the “spoiler alert” parts!) has made me want to see this, as i am a BIG documentary fan…probably my favorite type of film!
you’re a good man David Bronson…keep up the great work!
Thanks so much Steven, that is awesome! Given how much you love docs and knowing how much you love music I think you’ll get a lot out of this one. Big hug buddy!
Thanks so much for the thoughts and feedback, guys – I love that this movie is out there speaking to a lot of people and that it helps show what we hope is more of the reality of the life behind this tragic artist’s output.
There’s a duality in her public image being a talented artist and a victim of substance abuse. She was definitively the leader of that retro revival that allowed a few other female singers to jump in on. I remember as we joked around about “rehab” when her voice and style broke out of nowhere, and never thought much beyond the witty lyrics and catchy tune. And when those infamous photos surfaced it wasn’t all that funny cos it was real. If someone with that kind of talent didn’t befall that fate, I wonder how she would’ve evolved as an artist and what she would be singing.
I loved Amy winehouse and I’ve seen the movie. Amazing! It was very sad and very emotional the things she dealt with. Her pain and suffering usually went unnoticed behind the star power she attributed.
Sounds like the movie perhaps made you a fan after all. I too have the same reservations you had to the film before you watched it and I’m a little more open now. I feel like her story is a classic Hollywood rockstar tale but her talent might just set her apart.
Very timely post; gave me chills.
I have always been fascinated with Amy Winehouse’s story since she is truly my favorite singer of all time. After her death I got my hands on anything new attached to her name. This documentary is one of the very best of the many bio documentaries that have come out in the past decade. “Amy” is a gripping, deeply personal and extremely sad story. It’s told in all honesty: it shows how incredibly talented Winehouse was, and how dedicated to her music, but also how insecure and self-destructive. A tough watch, but totally worth it.
Great commentary on an underrated film. This title grabbed my attention since it is indeed a movie that has gotten great reviews but is under the radar.