I think I should point out that I am by no means a seasoned film critic but for what it’s worth here is my opinion of the movie.
There were high expectation on my part as I’d followed her career from the days before she made it big after stumbling across an obscure video of one of her very early performances in a pub in Camden on YouTube.
Firstly. Marisa Abela’s performance as Amy is simply astonishing. From the facial expressions while singing, her acting, to her ability to get Amy’s highly distinctive voice absolutely on point, it’s a remarkable performance. In fact, the acting by all the cast was excellent throughout.
Secondly, the story. It was perhaps a little slow to start with but it soon got into its stride and ended up dealing with all the turbulence and demons Amy had in her personal life in a way that drew you in and made you really care for what she and those around her were going through. In this context the music was secondary and that at times showed as there were long periods between studio and music performance scenes. But don’t let that put you off. That’s essentially what the movie is about. It’s about Amy, the person. The music is what made her but she was so so much more than that.
VERDICT. 8.5 – A must see movie.
The story of an incredibly talented young woman, her passion for music and life and the story of the demons that ultimately led to her tragic and untimely death at the age of just 27.
Phil Alsford