The much anticipated biopic, Amy (2015) opened today in London, New York, and Los Angeles. Director Asif Kapadia skillfully leads viewers through the tale of Amy Winehouse's brilliant, yet brief life. Her story is told through never seen before archival footage of Winehouse and candid interviews with her family, friends, and associates. Kapadia creates a film that is equal parts compelling drama and tragedy.
The story follows Winehouse from her humble beginnings as a precocious girl in North London who dreamed of becoming a singer to the pinnacle of her success as a Grammy award winning songstress. All while he portrays her subsequent spiral into addiction. It celebrates her musical accomplishments and, despite only having released two albums, makes a case that Winehouse was and will remain one of the biggest icons in British music history. The film gives audiences a rare glimpse into her creative process and philosophies about fame, fortune, and self expression.
The film is not kind to the media or the two most influential men in her life. It portrays her father and Blake Fielder, as men whom Amy fiercely loved but who fed off her instability and encouraged her self-sabotage. It also takes an unsettling look at how Winehouse was ill-prepared to deal with her success and only began to face her addictions in the brief period right before her untimely death.
Ultimately, the Amy is the story of a talented, albeit tortured, young artist whose tragic passing ended any hope of the world discovering what she was truly capable of creating. Amy will be released in theaters nationwide on July 10, 2015.