S7234046I | Higher Diploma in Mass Communication with Higher Standing | February 18, 2016

FLM 101 DocumentaryAMY – AN OBSERVATION AND CRITIC BY ROBIN

STIENBERG TAN

Amy – The Movie, The Style, and Justice

by Robin Steinberg Tan

In Any documentary, they're four styles of format which audiences need to try to understand.

Firstly there is Expository

This form of filmmaking is usually traditional where there is only an unseen narrator performing a voiceover commentary which explains all visuals that we see and is often associated with wildlife or historical documentaries. The viewer will feel more need of information about what they see, but not empowered.

Secondly, there is “Interactive” this form of documentary feature certain amount of interactive in the film, for example, sequences involve with questions asked of them and being a film where there are interviews, the filmmaker can include or exclude in the editing process. In this case, the film can be controlled by the director, individuals, and even stakeholders whether to include or exclude content. But whichever mode anyone wants such as the case of Amy the documentary Movie – it can certainly provide a model an act to undermine the interviewees, make them look naïve or degraded. The interpretation of an event or personal account can also be translated trustworthy or untrustworthy depending on the content.

Thirdly – Reflective

This style considered as experimental documentaries which filmmakers are usually making the film interesting rather than the process. They prefer to construct reality or how reality is constructed such a past, present, and future.

Lastly, Observational

This kind of documentaries usually films in “real time” such as reality shows. They would appear as though filmed in real time – the camera is filming and capturing the events while those real time actors do not know they are being filmed and captured unknowingly.

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In the case of Amy the Movie, it was filmed in various locations including in a taxi cab with Amy’s family member, her friends, and her associates. Private films shots, interviews by Journalists were collected and compiled by the filmmaker Asif Kapadia. Much is said and described by critics from Variety, The Guardian, Telegraph as well as the Biographies found inconsistencies of truth. There were three questions raised in this critic on this film, Did the Director compromised some truths for the sake of profit? Did her parents approve to the balance of Amy private life for quick fame and profit? Did the record companies try to profit her death? The film which Asif Kapadia claims that all the interviews were conducted together with researchers and cross references. He even extends to the public that he uses journalistic methods to ensure that everything is back up with evidence. Where is the evidence? Who is the evidence? The film is made disturbingly with a mix methods of Observational and Reflective. But it is poorly film and created because it only focuses on her music and her entertainment rather more than her interview of her story. Unlike with Michael Jackson’s documentary which is simple, detailed and straight forward and clear, Amy’s film is found confusingly understood. Parts of the film I could hardly understand how she write her songs for example. When did she write? And how she wrote it. There was no example given on how the songs mean a lot to her and her associates as well. Only two types of realism were found in the film where there is the part where Amy describes her first concert which is also known as surface realism which is all about the details have to be really right and right in the right place and time which is the case of Amy, and secondly Emotional Realism plays a part in the documentary when Amy’s death was announced many of the interviews were done with associates and family members who have very close ties

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There is not enough truths but merely emotional; this is how many critics determined. The Filmmaker had undermined who the real Amy was as an Artist and also there was not much investigation, unlike the other Authors who explain the real issue that Amy Winehouse is trying to resolve at home and her emotions with her music. The Guardian, Entitled Why the Amy Winehouse film is little better than paps who hounded her. (Ruby lott-Lavigna, 22nd July 2015) describe the filmmaker as The documentary lacks a voice, supplementing this void with a tabloid-rescue scrapbook timeline transposed to the screen.In Variety, Entitled Film Review: “Amy” by Guy Lodge, May 16, 2015 – Winehouse’s lyrical craft is a consistent point of interest for Kapadia. Though the Film features no editorial voice of its own, it collates the observations of various involved parties – friends, lovers, bodyguards, records executives, producers Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson – to create the impression of the woman. Lastly, Telegraph – Amy Winehouse glorious rise and heartbreaking fall is movingly documented by Director of Senna by Robbie Collin; 8th January 2016 has described as “There are hole in the story, which is simply a drawback of the technique: understandably, no one wants to implicate themselves in Winehouse’s original discovery of heroin and crack cocaine….So is there truth in the film or was it off balance for profit and shame? Is selling shame the main motive? Is truth good business sense? Towards the end making the documentary like Amy in comparison to books is far from the truth behind Amy’s lives and may many soon in the coming generations will learn the truth.

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References

1. Loving Amy: A Mother’s Story by Janis Winehouse, ISBN 978-12500784902. Amy, My Daughter by Mitch Winehouse, ISBN 978-00621914723. Amy Winehouse: A Losing Game by Mick O'Shea, ISBN 978-08596548214. Saving Amy by Daphne Barak, ISBN 978-18477367035. Amy Winehouse – The Biography 1983 to 2011 by Chas Newkey-Burden,

ISBN 978-18435881466. Why the Amy Winehouse film is little better than the paps

who hounded her. By Ruby Lott-Lavigna http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/16/amy-review-asif-kapadias-amy-winehouse-film-is-a-tragic-masterpiece

7. Film Review: Amy by Guy Lodge http://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/amy-review-cannes-amy-winehouse-documentary-1201493207/

8. Amy Winehouse’s glorious rise and heartbreaking fall are movingly documented by Director of Senna by Robbie Collin, 8th January 2016. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/amy/review/

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