Monthly newspaper and online publication targeting 18 to 35 year olds. The ultimate guide to the hottest parties, going out and having fun. Music, fashion, film, travel, festivals, technology, comedy, and parties! London, Barcelona, Miami and Ibiza.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/556856
14 Issue 78 / 2015 FILM guestlist.net Amy, the new documentary from Asif Kapadia, depicting the story of a girl who loved to sing and ended up self-destructing. She died July, 23rd, 2011 Amy A MY dares to describe the best and the worst parts of Winehouse's last years. It starts with a video of Amy in her teens and it goes on through pivotal moments such as the release of Frank and the recording of Back To Black. Kapadia's great achievement is to portray Amy not as the drug- addicted damned star, but as a girl struggling with demons and oppressed by fame. He uses lots of archival footage and dozens of interviews to create an incisive portrait. "a talented and witty girl who wanted to sing, but was not ready to live with being famous." Kapadia always gives depth to his work and Amy is no different. The film is full of exceptional moments, like when she wins 6 Grammy awards or when she meets her idol Tony Bennett and sings with him. Watching her overwhelmed with happiness, and hearing Bennett talk about the quality of her musicianship, adding that she didn't live long enough to learn how to live, is literally heartbreaking. What we really appreciated about Amy are the fearless depictions of the other people in Winehouse's life. Mitch and Blake are portrayed as two negative figures in Amy's life and reading interviews from her friends, that seems accurate. They seemed to put their interests before hers. We loved how Kapadia crafted the path of the story through the lyrics of her songs, many of which were autobiographical - the daddy in 'Rehab' is Mitch. The film is the perfect soul-stirring heart-wrenching chronicle of a talented and witty girl who wanted to sing, but was not ready to live with being famous. The ending represents it all. Kapadia concludes his documentary with a series of tender images of Amy in her daily life in her early twenties, with the lyrics of 'Valerie' on screen. A perfect conclusion, reminding us that we are not only watching the story of a rock star, but of an ordinary troubled woman. She was in love, she was vulnerable, and she wanted to live.