In Cinemas: 'Amy' (2015) + 'Terminator: Genisys' (2015)
'Amy' (★★★★, 8/10) director Asif Kapadia has past form in terms of examining the passing of prominent figures - his acclaimed 2010 documentary 'Senna' explored the life and death of racing driver Ayrton Senna. This time around, he casts his eye over musician Amy Winehouse whose talented yet troubled life sadly came to an end in 2011.
The documentary rightfully dedicates much of its two-hour-plus running time to the highs of Winehouse's career - be they award wins or working with her idol Tony Bennett - while never shirking the dark undertones that became increasingly exacerbated by her rising profile. While 'Amy' has been criticised by Winehouse's father, and a former boyfriend, the film does not go as far as demonizing its players - including Winehouse herself. Instead, it presents a portrait of a complex situation that led to tragic consequences.
Also out in UK cinemas is 'Terminator: Genisys' (★★), the fifth film in the humanity against AI franchise, revisiting events from the 1984 original as well as 1991's direct sequel. This messy homage sees Arnold Schwarzenegger return as the T-800 robot, with new casting/miscasting for central characters Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke), John Connor (Jason Clarke), and Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney).
'Thor 2' director Alan Taylor delivers a promising start (mainly based in the decimated robot-led future) before things start to get convoluted, with the film's more interesting turns sadly already exposed by the gung-ho marketing. 'Terminator: Genisys' does manage to capture emotions better than some of its predecessors, but its overall impact is dampened by the carefree altering of timelines (and an important post-credits scene).
At Home: 'Broad City' + 'X+Y' (2014)
US sitcom 'Broad City' has hit our telly screens, capturing the offbeat antics of twenty-somethings Abbi Jackson and Ilana Glazer as they try to get by in New York City. Jordan FG and I recently caught the first couple of episodes of the show, and found it laugh-out-loud funny. Catch 'Broad City' on 4music.
Out on DVD and VOD this week is 'X+Y', starring Asa Butterfield as a British teenager who struggles with the world outside of a strong affinity to mathematics. Director Morgan Matthews handles the subject matter with a reassuring calm, aided by Danny Cohen's hazy cinematography and MEARL's emotive soundtrack. Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins offer their support to round out one of this year's most moving films.
TV & Movie News
San Diego Comic-Con brought us a slew of new trailers, with the most exciting arguably being the first proper footage from David Ayers' supervillain ensemble, 'Suicide Squad'. It's a treat:
Other Comic-Con trailers included a follow-up 'Batman Vs Superman' trailer, 'The Walking Dead' Season Six preview, and a look at 'Doctor Who' Series Nine.
Elsewhere, the trailer to sort-of-book adaptation 'Goosebumps' popped out, with Jack Black as RL Stine:
RIP Omar Sharif (1932-2015). The Guardian looked at his career in this series of clips.
Read previous On Camera columns here. Drop us a line at film(at)fadedglamour.co.uk if you have something you think might be worth featuring in a future column.