A beehive-wearing jazz genius from North London reinvents modern soul, wins six Grammys in one night…and is gone before 30.
“Amy” will surely rank in the top 20 when I release my “Best of Music Biographical Documentaries”.
Trailer for “Amy”
Watch “Amy”
You can watch “Amy” for free on Kanopy with a library card.
You can also stream it on Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Fandango ($3.59 to $5.99 last I checked).
You can find the latest streaming options at https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/amy-2015
Ratings:
- My Rating: 94/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 87/100 (Users); 96/100 (Critics)
Release Date: July 3, 2015
My Review of “Amy”
Amy Winehouse had it all—talent, charm, and a voice for the ages. But fame, addiction, and heartbreak destroyed her.
The 2015 documentary “Amy,” directed by Asif Kapadia (known for “Senna” (which I rank 99/100) and “Diego Maradona” (93/100)), is a raw, unflinching look at her life.
It uses home videos, performance footage, and interviews to tell the story. This isn’t a glossy tribute. It’s a tragic, gut-punch of a doc that stays with you.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- In one early interview, Amy jokes that she’d go crazy if she ever became famous. She laughs. You cringe because she was right.
- She once walked out of her own Grammy acceptance because she was arguing with her boyfriend. She didn’t care.
- Amy’s bodyguard recounts finding her dead just hours after she sang “Happy Birthday” to him.
Her Rise Was Electric
Amy’s early days are thrilling to watch. Growing up in Southgate, London, she idolized jazz greats like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.
The doc shows her raw talent even as a teen. Her first album, “Frank,” hinted at greatness, but it was 2006’s “Back to Black” that made her a star.
Songs like “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good” weren’t just hits. They were anthems.
The doc peeks into her creative process.
Amy scribbles lyrics in notebooks like her life depended on it. In a way, it did. Her songs were brutally personal. Kapadia shows how her writing turned heartbreak and chaos into art.
Fame and the Fall
Fame was her undoing. Tabloids loved to drag her through the mud. One montage of headlines feels like a gut punch: “Wino Forever,” “Amy’s Meltdown,” “Rehab Fail.” Paparazzi stalked her day and night. It’s tough to watch.
Kapadia dives into her toxic relationships. Her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, introduced her to hard drugs. Their romance was volatile.
Then there’s her dad, Mitch, who Kapadia paints as self-serving. At one point, he brings a camera crew to visit her during rehab. Amy needed support. She got exploitation.
The Music Never Left Her
Even as her life spiraled, Amy’s artistry shone. One standout scene shows her recording “Body and Soul” with Tony Bennett. She’s anxious, doubting herself, but then she sings—and it’s magic.
Bennett, a living legend, later called her one of the best vocalists he’d ever worked with.
But addiction took its toll. Amy fought heroin, crack, and alcohol. There’s a heartbreaking account of her overdosing, surviving, and vowing to get clean. But the cycle repeated until her body couldn’t take it anymore.
Lesser-Known Gems
- Her Tattoos: Amy’s tattoos weren’t just style—they were history. Her pin-up girl? A nod to her love of vintage aesthetics.
- The Jazz Foundation: Her grandmother, Cynthia, was the jazz-loving matriarch who pushed Amy to follow her dreams.
- The Lost Duets: Amy planned collaborations with artists like Questlove that never happened because of her decline.
- Handwritten Lyrics: The doc highlights notebooks filled with lyrics. They’re messy, raw, and heartbreaking.
- Southgate Roots: Watching Amy at her childhood home reminds you she was just a girl with a gift.
Wrap Up
“Amy” is unforgettable. Asif Kapadia doesn’t sanitize her story. He shows her brilliance and her demons in equal measure. It’s tough to watch, but it’s also impossible to look away.
By the end, you don’t just mourn the singer. You mourn the human—the girl who never wanted fame but couldn’t escape it. Like one of her songs, “Amy” will linger long after it ends.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc