Amy (La chica detrás del nombre)

Ray o En la cuerda floja son largometrajes biográficos bien filmados e interpretados sobre las dramáticas vidas de las leyendas de la música. Pero con el mismo metraje bastante atrevido, el documental Amy (La chica detrás del nombre) tiene una *autenticidad* insustituible, lo que le da una profundidad más tangible. Es un retrato de una estrella de la música y al mismo tiempo un estudio del carácter de una persona humilde pero espontánea que logra mantener su carácter frente a las trampas seductoras de la fama, pero no pasa la prueba de mantener la cabeza fría en los sentimientos por la pareja equivocada, igualmente espontánea, pero egoísta y autodestructiva. Y deja que destruya su vida. La película no es solo emocional, sino que nos hace pensar. (06.08.2015)

It's very reminiscent of the Ayrton Senna documentary for two reasons. Both personalities are both equally iconic, with breathtaking talent and similarly shrouded in various myths and legends, having lost their lives at a relatively young age when they still had a lot ahead of them in their careers and private lives. Also, the documentary style is very similar in both cases. A sort of collage of film footage interspersed with handheld camera footage, capturing with utmost authenticity the famous singer, especially in her private life, in the form of "home videos". The haunting sound of concerts and studio recordings is unfortunately unpleasantly brought down for my taste by the long running time and a lot of extra monologues of people who seem to be there. Senna had much more drive. (29.08.2015)

Let me first briefly comment on the situation itself. It’s a display of how low people can go and even how atrocious they can be behind the closed doors of show business. Seeing how even in the "serious" media, people literally make fun of those who actually need help, is enough to make you puke. Of course, addicts are responsible for their behavior, but in some cases there’s no alternative but to offer them a helping hand. Except for about two songs, I didn't know much about Amy Winehouse, so when I saw the news about the concert in Belgrade, I just shrugged it off as news about a junkie. I did feel sorry for her, because absolutely any listener who isn’t completely tone-deaf can tell that she had incredible talent. I could go on about similar cases. Just off the top of my head, Charlie Sheen, whom everyone makes fun of for his drinking - when I watch his earlier movies and series, the talent is there and now seeing his face destroyed by booze and drugs, it's just sad (another case might be Britney Spears, who Craig Ferguson talks about for this particular reason, since he had to go through similar shit). Of course, you can argue that they are spoiled celebrities and it serves them right because no one forced them to do any of that. All the more reason to watch Amy, where you can clearly tell that if you are drawn into this mess by your loved ones, the way back can be damn hard. The documentary itself is excellent, and Kapadia proves that few people can make documentaries like he does. An absolutely deserved Oscar, but let’s face it, Senna is two levels better. (30.07.2016)

Given that I was never interested in Amy and never listened to her songs, this documentary managed to captivate me. Yes, there were definitely moments in her life that are worth emphasizing and that show how people... well, what kind of swine they are and how they can destroy a person. However, what I must appreciate the most is the direction because it is excellently executed, that it even captivated me, a non-fan. (29.10.2015)