The Reel Review
There will never be a biopic about British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse that is as thorough and accurate as this exceptionally well done Oscar winning documentary. A meticulous chronology of home videos, found footage, voice mails and interviews with a young Winehouse and those around her reveals a girl who was exceptionally clever, kind and talented – a far cry from the drug-addled joke portrayed by the media prior to her death. One sad revelation comes when Winehouse, whose real love was jazz, early on says she has no interest in being a big pop star, only to later be mortified at feeling like a sellout (and turning to drugs, thanks to her enabling then-husband) the moment that enormous pop stardom occurred. The documentary yields a newfound appreciation for Winehouse’s lesser-known (but far superior) jazz recordings, another bittersweet reminder of the great talent lost to addiction.
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