A Look Into the Life of a Soulful Vocalist

Photo Credit: Tribecafilm.com 

As far as music of the twenty-first century is concerned, English singer Amy Winehouse gave us one of the most distinctive voices in the industry.  Her songs were things of beauty that provided us with a lyrical view into her life.  Sadly, on July 23, 2011, she passed away, leaving behind a musical career that should have included decades of more work.  Although we no longer have the experience of listening to any new songs from Winehouse, we now have a detailed view of her life in director Asif Kapadia’s documentary, “Amy.”

Before I saw Kapadia’s film, I never listened to Winehouse’s music that much.  When I found out that a documentary about the singer was going to be released, I was interested in catching it and decided to familiarize myself with her music before I saw the movie.  Having listened to her songs prior to viewing the film, I was able to get a much deeper appreciation for her as I was watching the movie.

The film provides considerable insight about notable events in Amy’s life, and then follows some of those scenes with her singing her songs that relate to what she has gone through.  With memorable tracks such as “You Know I’m No Good,” “Tears Dry on Their Own,” “Back to Black,” and “Rehab” sung in the film, you get the opportunity to see how those songs grew out of Amy’s personal experiences.

Throughout the film, we also get to listen to voiceovers from Amy’s family, friends, and music-industry acquaintances, all of whom offer us views of how they saw her as a person and an artist.   

One of the most moving scenes in the film comes when we see Winehouse collaborating with Tony Bennett for a 2011 recording of the famous jazz number, “Body and Soul.”  When Winehouse worked with Bennett, you see how much respect she had for her idols, and it shows that she wasn’t the type of artist who had a bloated ego, but was someone who truly revered her influences.

Asif Kapadia shows tremendous respect for his subject.  By focusing on Amy’s ups and downs, Kapadia does a thorough job chronicling the singer’s life and gives moviegoers a heartfelt and tragic portrait of an artist whose life ended much too soon.  Although Winehouse is greatly missed, we’re able to remember her by revisiting her music, as well as by viewing this film that offers us a thorough understanding of Winehouse’s life, a life that presented the world with a gifted voice, even if it was, unfortunately, only for a short while.

Final grade: A