Review of Amy (2015) by Héliø L — 08 Aug 2015

Asif Kapadia reminds our voyeuristic, celebrity-obsessed society that Amy Winehouse was much more than a trainwreck and that fame won't save anyone, in fact, it can be lethal. Extensive unseen archival footage will delight fans (and possibly earn her a few more, Winehouse's Spanish maid home tour being one of my favourite moments!) while the timely use of on-screen lyrics with real-life parallel imagery highlights just how extremely personal and ruthless is her music.

Her father and ex-husband emerge as supposed villains but, unfortunately, they are not the only ones to fail her. By the time the credits roll, we will have learnt we were all complicit. As usual, Kapadia masterfully avoids talking heads and narration, overloading the screen with intimate footage of one of the world's greatest jazz singers instead; from her childhood through to her battles with depression, bulimia and addiction.

This touching documentary brings Amy back from the dead to redeem her life and legacy, and as it deservedly breaks box-office records, it is also set to take home a lot of gold come awards season.