Review of Amy (2015) by Inaneswine — 14 Nov 2017

After attending a premiere screening of Amy, I returned home and began aimlessly flicking through the music channels. And in those few minutes, skimming past pretty baby-faced boys and pairs of breasts that sing, relentlessly repetitive thumping beats that steal from - sorry, "sample" - far superior music from eons ago laden with lyrics that sing about nightclubs, sex and alcohol, and music videos that exist as little more than tawdry commercials for corporations to flog their products, one of the many messages of the film hit me over the head like an ashtray in a sock. Amy stands not only as a study of the downfall of an outstanding artist, but also of the music industry as a whole.

We all know this already: Amy Winehouse was an exceptionally talented, yet deeply troubled artist. But what many don't realise, and what this film beautifully shows, is what she stood for within the industry, and society as a whole. Amy simply did not fit in the modern music scene, where so much attention is devoted to sales figures, charts, money and looks, and so little to the art itself. What's more, she was taken advantage of by a long parade of people who were supposed to care for her, but instead used her humble and introverted nature for their own gains. The film is beautifully edited and tells its sad story very efficiently, combining previously unseen footage of the singer with interviews from the people who knew her best. It's made with care and sensitivity towards its subject, and it does what it sets out to do. Hopefully, those who see the film will forget the paparazzi photographs of her falling out of nightclubs and will instead think of her beautiful voice and her young, bright eyes full of hope - even if, alas, the outcome is in no doubt.