Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Amy (2015)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Asif Kapadia
Cast: Amy Winehouse (archive), Mitchell Winehouse, Tony Bennett
Running time: 128 minutes



This 2015 documentary focuses on the short, yet full, life of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, who died in July 2011 following years of drug and alcohol abuse and a constant battle with bulimia. Through the use of archive footage and recorded interviews with the late star and her entourage, we are taken on a trip on a road that ends on such a tragic note.

The story of the rise and fall of the great jazz/soul singer that was Amy Winehouse is just as riveting as it is sad. To see such talent wasted away and lost, at the young age of 27, is a truly terrible thing.

Watching this film, it is hard not to get mad at Amy Winehouse’s entourage for not helping her a little more. That being said, addiction is a difficult battle and it is a monstrous beast when you are ill-equipped to deal with its effect. The fact remains, she needed better support. When Amy found great success, with the Back to Black album, she then became a cash cow for everyone around her and there would be no stopping that train, even if there were no tracks left to travel on.

This documentary also shows a very nasty portrait of the paparazzi situation in Europe. Even the sanest person in the world might be prone to snapping when surrounded and “attacked” like that with cameras. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for a fragile Amy Winehouse.

All things considered, this is an awesome documentary. The story is sad, but it is a great look at a talented woman we lost much too fast.


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