Apologies if this already exists on the forum, I searched and went through last 3 months of movie posts and missed it if it does exist.
I know I was influenced by the media circus surrounding Amy Winehouse - She had a few catchy tunes, but the drugs, alcohol and early death (by those) kind of rubber stamped what had been said about her for years. Yet another sad unfortunate event brought about by excess.
But this movie completely turned my perspective around.
Using archival footage, home movies, recordings of phone calls, interviews, the director Asif Kapada paints a narrative of bulimia, addiction and relationships that really brought about her downfall. (Note: her family vehemently rejects , IMO lending credence to the truth brought out in the movie)
It’s a dangerous thing - a documentary director can so easily shape the narrative into what message they want to deliver, and I think this was a very powerful story. I saw a side of Amy that I never knew existed - the reverential respect that she had within the Jazz community, and how she completely blew them away - most likely highlighted by her Duet with Tony Bennett (see performance here).
I’m not sure if the director intended it or not, but as my wife and I were watching this, we came to the conclusion that music was her creative outlet for her demons. Her lyrics were telling HER story, and it was a sad story. She laid out her life her problems and demons…laid it out bare for all to see. Early on before she hit it big, in an interview with a local personality, she said:
“I don’t think I’ll be famous. I don’t think I could handle it. I think I’d go mad. Ya’know what I mean, I’d go mad.”
It’s a sad story, but it gave me an entirely new perspective on Amy Winehouse that I really didn’t know about – her jazz music, her bulimia and the way she crumbled when her relationships faltered. It also gave a glimpse into the pressure she was under to deliver and she really didn’t like the large crowds. Her body guard said the night before her death, she told him:
“If I could give it all back just to walk down the street with no hassles,”
Highly recommended documentary.