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In 2011 Amy Winehouse walked on stage in Belgrade, but was too drunk to sing a note. One month later she was dead from alcohol poisoning and music had lost one of its most original voices. Whether or not you are a Winehouse fan, there's much to love about this new documentary. Skilfully weaving together home movies, cell phone footage, phone messages, and interviews with Amy Winehouse and her closest companions, a picture emerges of an already fragile young woman for whom fame and fortune were destined to be a curse. As a youngster she was obsessed with jazz and writing her own songs, but equally obsessed with smoking weed, drinking and living a lifestyle that would ultimately take its toll on her petit frame. Although alcohol and drug addiction threaten to overshadow the memory of Amy Winehouse's later years, what consistently shines through is the sheer talent of a girl who came out of nowhere singing like a fully fledged jazz legend when she was barely out of her teens. So why did she have to die so young? A couple of villains are presented for our consideration, the chief of which is Blake Fielder-Civil the boyfriend & husband who introduced Amy to crack cocaine, and whom many felt was a major facilitator of her downfall. There's also Amy's father, Mitch Winehouse, who seemed more intent on keeping his daughter on the road and making money than helping her to face up to her health problems. The Winehouse family have understandably disowned this film, and no doubt feel that perhaps they should have been shown in a better light, but with such a sad outcome it was always going to be a messy affair. This is a seriously moving and gripping documentary which shows just how tragic the life of the gifted and talented can sometimes be. 10/10
