Born To Die: Review of Amy

Amy

Director: Asif Kapadia

By Alex Watson

Just like he did with his magnificent 2012 documentary, Senna, Asif Kapadia has once again created another haunting yet embracing film in Amy. Based upon two years of research, Kapadia lifts the hood and goes to work revealing the real Amy Winehouse. Her death in 2011 was both a shock which filled the music world with sadness as a true talented had literally wasted herself away.

Focusing on the final years of Amy Winehouse, this documentary digs deep into her upbringing and her strained relationship with her parents. To her early musical years and how she found immense joy performing in her beloved jazz clubs. Upon the release of her infamous soul album 'Back to Black' Winehouse found both her private life and drug addictions plastered all over the nations press. Her love of music is both the blessing and through a life less ordinary, a bright light of the music world will eventually burn out.

Kapadia's Amy plays out like a happy dream which gradually turns into a drug laced nightmare. The Winehouse the public knew was one who was the quintessential party animal know for her excesses. Kapadia instead presents to us a far different figure from what we were taught. Opting against going for a 'too young to die' approach, Kapadia focuses a girl who an ordinary Southgate girl for whom the fame machine perhaps got too big. The early scenes of a fresh faced and near innocent Winehouse crooning 'Moon River' is almost heart breaking. The early singer cared little for fame or fortune, she merely just wanted to sing. The career high such as winning Grammy awards and singing with her idol Tony Bennett are presented with a glowing warm feel which for a brief second radiates joy upon the film. 

Her family is one factor of Winehouse's life that is closely examined. Her father Mitch perhaps is one figure that comes off worse as he is presented as an eager businessman who neglected his daughter at her time of need.  It is the later period of her life and her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil which causes the most ripples. Their relationship was one of both deep love and extreme addiction, which caused her loved ones to distance themselves. Although devoted to each other, the self destructive nature could only have one outcome. Kapadia doesn't hold back and throw his audience into the thick of the violence and drug abuse that would eventually make her life go spiralling out of control. Upon winning a Grammy, she remarks to her friend "This is no fun without drugs!"

Music is one the one presence in Winehouse's life that perhaps gave her some kind of comfort. Here her soul voice brought forward her joys, fears and memories to her audience. Rather than pin pointing what could have caused her downfall, Kapadia gives things a needed light touch. Presenting her fame as being at first a glorious run to gradually her live being continually splashed all over tabloids. Her love of singing became almost a job to which she grew apathetic towards and as the machine grew, so did the expectations. Witnessing her being thrown drunk and unconscious onto a plane for her tragic final gig in Belgrade is perhaps the final nail in the coffin.

Once more Asif Kapadia had succeed admirably in creating a great neutral and almost vibrant portrayal of a lost talent. Amy is a film that will grab at you early and most likely will make you want to purchase Frank and Back to Black by the film's close. However, we are also left with many 'if only...' questions in return.