On screen we watch her looking painfully nervous. Awkwardly standing in a dimly lit studio next to one of her heroes and a legendary jazz singer, we watch as she stops her side of the duet abruptly. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry,” she says to Tony Bennett like a child in trouble. “I don’t want to waste your time.”
“Amy” takes us inside the misunderstood heart and mind of one of the most famous British songwriters and vocalists, Amy Winehouse. Director Asif Kapadia removes the cloak of the jaded, sloppy image that plagued Winehouse during the last few years of her life.
The use of voicemails, early studio footage, faceless interviews, shaky paparazzi film and home videos gives “Amy” a raw feel. Throughout the film we are led mostly by Winehouse’s words, both played in the background and splashed on screen.
We hear it all; testimonials from her ex-husband, her family, bodyguard and close friends, whom evidently were unable to help Winehouse during the peak of her downward spiral.
Winehouse’s reported substance abuse, alcohol addiction and eating disorder masked her critically acclaimed talent. Unfortunately, her bumps and bruises were the only way we could recognize her in the end.
Rough like Macy Gray. Deep like Ella Fitzgerald. Smooth like Dinah Washington. Her voice emulated the richness of jazz and soul singers alike.
Winehouse first received her spotlight after the release of her debut album “Frank” in 2003. Named after Sinatra and the honesty of the lyrics, “Frank” introduced the world who Winehouse really was: a down-to-earth jazz singer.
Her sophomore and final album “Back to Black” skyrocketed her into a massive state of publicity, throwing her headfirst into arena gigs, front-page tabloid stories and talk show interrogations. Even from a distance, the world could see that she wasn’t handling it well.
This expertly paced biopic leads us slowly into the fire. Like “Lone Survivor” and “Titanic”, we already know the ending. But with fluid transitions from one phase of her life to another, Winehouse’s life is displayed like an epic poem. With anticipation, you watch and wait for the story to take its tragic turn.
To know the truth of this captivating artist, one should see “Amy.” We learn the meaning behind hits like “Back to Black,” “You Know I’m No Good” and “Rehab.” We also learn the affects of music management and quick success.
“Amy” is an example of how the lack of facilitating an artist can help throw them into “misadventures.” Addiction and personal abuse were prominent at the end of Winehouse’s life, but her love of music and performing her written words breathe through the bad, and we are finally able see her, and hear her, clearly.
Theaters in Long Beach to watch “Amy”:
The Art Theater
2025 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA 90814
United Artists Theater
Market Place, 6601 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90803