Amy

Like most people, I'd heard about Amy Winehouse, knew a couple of her songs and was aware of her troubled reputation, but I never really went beyond that. I generally don't care much for music documentaries, as they're more about glorifying their subjects than giving a proper insight, luckily there's none of that here.

There's a lot of amateur footage and raw material that shows a less polished, more honest look at the person behind the artist. Enough to get some kind of idea who she was, but also leaving plenty untouched to not reduce her to a simple narrative. Kapadia found a really nice balance there.

There are also many interviews with people directly involved in Winehouse' downfall, adding another level of validity. The story itself isn't too original, creativity, vulnerability and fame have never gelled well together, but it's one of the more insightful and respectful documentaries I've seen about the subject so far. A welcome surprise.