Review: Amy BD + Screen Caps

THE MOVIE – 4.25/5

Celebrity and drugs/alcohol is nothing new and with the modern days of the Internet, you often see them self-destruct before our very eyes and to some extent, we as the audience are partially to blame as paparazzi and the media at large want to photograph and film every moment. This isn’t to discount personal responsibility nor alleviates the responsibilities of those around them, but it’s almost like a category 5 hurricane with the person being assaulted on multiple fronts with little hope of survival.

This described Amy Winehouse whose rise to stardom was incredible and her downfall utterly tragic. Her life is chronicled in the documentary Amy directed by Asif Kapadia who previously helmed another bio-doc Senna about the life and death of F1 race car driver Ayrton Senna. Both of these films have a haunting feel about them though Amy is far darker and a real cautionary tale about fame. In the case of Amy Winehouse who was the butt of jokes from late night and stand-up comedians whose downward spiral was a point of amusement, was a person in crisis and sadly those around her. In particular, husband Blake Fielder who first supplied her with heroine, was instrumental in her drug addiction.

As I said before, however, Winehouse herself isn’t absolved though she was certainly at a disadvantage; kicking a habit extremely difficult to walk away from in the best of circumstances with friends and family completely behind you and with Winehouse, she had a bunch of yes people around her and those wanting to take advantage of her success (namely her father), a drug-addict husband and added for good measure, the glaring lights of the media watching her every move from outside her home to the comings and goings of her multiple stints in rehab down to medics carrying her in a body bag.

Amy is a harrowing, haunting and intimate documentary showing the destructive nature of celebrity combined with drugs and the forces that, in the case of Amy Winehouse, had a sense of inevitability to the sad outcome of her short life. Although it is over two hours long, each scene is a mosaic into the woman far more complex than what was portrayed in the tabloids and late night television.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5

This release comes with a matted slip cover and inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy.

Audio Commentary includes Director Asif Kapadia, Editor Chris King and Producer James Gay-Rees as they go through how the documentary was made, interviewing the various participants and obviously speak to Amy Winehouse’s life.

Interviews (53:52; HD) with yasiin bey, Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi and Jools Holland discuss their relationships and recall stories about Winehouse.

Deleted Scenes (33:25; HD) have 17 scenes were cut down and include more behind-the-scenes footage of Winehouse at various events. Understandable why these were removed as the movie was already over two hours but watching these are worthwhile.

Unseen Performances (TRT 14:25; HD) are acoustic sessions at Metropolis Studios of Winehouse singing Rehab (4:50), Love is a Losing Game (3:50) and You Know I’m No Good (5:45).

The Making of Amy (1:55; HD) is a mere promotional featurette that serves more as an extended trailer more than anything.

Also included is the Teaser Trailer (1:30; HD) and Theatrical Trailer (2:17; HD).

Previews – Love & Mercy, The End of the Tour, Dark Places, Mississippi Grind, Room

VIDEO – 4.0/5

AUDIO – 4.5/5

OVERALL – 4.0/5

Overall, Amy is a compelling documentary detailing the tragic life and death of a person who, at least to me, appeared destined for a dark outcome, drawn in by forces both inside and out from a father only interested in her fame and money and a husband introducing her to, or at the very least, furthering her addiction to drugs. Beyond her celebrity status it is a glimpse at addiction in a general sense. The Blu-ray released by Lionsgate includes a fair amount of bonus material and the video/audio transfers are quite good.

Published: 12/01/2015