Greetings,
Well, I hate to talk once again about a great artist who left us much too soon, but I like to contribute to the "gone but not forgotten" mindset as much as I possibly can. So, today, I will be discussing a documentary that I recently saw about Amy Winehouse, aptly titled, Amy.
To be honest, I didn't even know that this film was being made, until I came across a trailer for it. Usually, I know about these things far in advance, docs about people in music, I mean. And said trailer I will discuss later. But I was really looking forward to seeing an official, for better or worse, account of the life of Amy Winehouse. I will say it's tough to go into something knowing that it will not have a happy ending, but I think what leads up to that ending and how it is portrayed is an important part of doing any movie like this.
Amy was directed by Asif Kapadia, well-known for his film about Ayrton Senna, aptly titled, once again, Senna. Now I admit, I have not seen any of his films before this, but I am considering it now. I really like his style in putting this together. It was, in some parts, a typical documentary with everything you expect being there, but there was enough uniqueness in the structure so that it could stand out. I was impressed by how well-balanced it was concerning the ups and downs of Amy's life and career, which were plentiful, and it pulls very few punches. That's good, in my opinion, because one must see the downs to appreciate the ups, and see the ups to get the emotional impact of the downs. To put it bluntly, a lot of this was difficult to watch. Not surprising.
One of the things I noticed most was the way Amy talked about fame and how she saw it and approached it. I speak both of her own and that of others. One of my favorite scenes was the recording session she had with Tony Bennett. At that point, she was a huge star, but, standing next to one of her greatest musical inspirations, she was like a nervous little girl. Her insecurities came out, and Mr. Bennett sweetly encouraged her. Maybe it's just the way I saw it, but I think she was shown as quite a humble person when it came to her talent. It seemed she didn't necessarily want to be a star; she just wanted to sing.
Sadly, though, that was a big part of the story as well, the perception of artists and what they are supposed to strive for. It seems that, when the world thinks of artists, they think of two kinds and two kinds only - ones that are poor and unknown, or ones that are rich and famous. And you have to pick one to be. But, though these kinds may be the most recognized, people tend to forget about those in the small but happy medium. The artists that manage to be successful, but not famous, financially stable (At least, somewhat), but not rich. Honestly, I think that is where many artists hope to be. And, whilst I may be wrong, I think Amy Winehouse may have been one of them.
That brings me to what may be the most polarizing thing about her. There are masses of people who were devastated by her death, but there are also a lot of people who would be quick to say that she brought it on herself. I personally tend to fall somewhere in the middle. I was saddened by her death, mostly because she was a great talent, and I thought she had potential to be one of those singers who did it until they were old, never stopping. But I also believe that she made a lot of poor choices in her life, which ultimately led to her death. Some may think that to say that is to speak ill of the dead, but I dare any of them to deny it. You can say that it wasn't her fault because of the way fame affected her, but while that may be a reason, I've never seen it as an excuse. And trust, there had to have been more things attributed to those choices than just her stardom. Which brings me to that trailer.
Honestly, I liked the first trailer for the movie. It was very well put together and had a great tone to it. And then, the second one came out. So, there's this thing that's done with trailers, and that is to show some quotes from reviewers and whatnot. Well, one of those quotes said that this film was "a celebration of Amy and a condemnation of us". Okay? First, it did celebrate her life. As I mentioned, it spotlighted her amazing talent and the potential she had to have a long career, but if this is implying that it celebrated her life as a whole, then we have a problem. Many parts of her life should not be celebrated but seen as a cautionary tale. And second, that thing about condemning US? Are you including me in that "us", because I never did a thing to hurt that woman. I just liked her music and her and occasionally said a prayer when I saw she was in trouble. I never stuck a needle in her arm. I never gave her drugs. Look, as I was saying before, many things can contribute to why we make the decisions that we do, but they are, in the end, OUR decisions. I am in no way condemning Amy for her mistakes, because we all make mistakes, some of them tragic, even life threatening, but please do not condemn me or anyone else for them.
Look, I don't want to sound harsh or judgmental towards this woman who I had great artistic admiration for. I suppose at the heart of this sad story is just a girl who couldn't see herself in the way that those who loved her did. And when I say those who loved her, I don't necessarily mean her fans. Of course, I know they loved her very much, and I would never, ever take away from the loss they feel, but they also didn't know her. I speak of the people who knew her personally, her true and genuine friends, the ones who really cared about her and wanted her to be okay. There were actually a couple of interviews with some girls who she had been friends with for quite a while. You could see the pain they experienced, not because of what superstar Amy Winehouse was going through, but because of what their friend Amy was going through. I wish she could have seen herself more the way they did. It was clear that she was greatly loved, authentically loved.
Okay, I may have gotten off track here, as I've been talking more about the person than the documentary. Then again, that's what this film was. It was her story, the good, the bad, the best and the worst. So, I say that this is a very well done movie. Yes, it is heartbreaking, from the sad parts, but even more so, from the not so sad parts, I have to say. It's when you see her as the happy, real person that she was, the moments where she smiled and laughed and was so full of joy and so grateful for being able to do what she loved, it's then that your heart truly aches for what the world lost. Not just an amazing artist, but a woman who, when she was at her best, was extraordinary. I'm glad that this film showed her, not just as a famous person, but as a person. Again, I hope I wasn't too harsh about this. The truth is difficult, but it has to told. Otherwise, we can never become wise. We can never protect ourselves. I certainly hope that people continue to be inspired by Amy Winehouse's music, but more so, I hope that people learn from her story.
This was a tough one.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
