Much has already been written about Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black before its release, with its
trailer and every subsequently shared clip attracting an online frenzy of reaction. Since the film was officially confirmed back in 2018, with director Sam Taylor-Johnson then boarding the project in July 2022, the late singer’s passionate fanbase has not been shy in voicing their opinions on casting, lead
Actress Marisa Abela’s singing and whether or not the film should even have been made . Although the commentary seems to skew towards the negative, Back to Black is a sympathetic – if flawed – attempt to paint a picture of Winehouse in her own intoxicating chaos. There’s a lot of love and fierce protection out there for the chart-topping star, following her tragic death aged 27 in 2011, with many feeling it’s too soon to examine her life and legacy. The film is much more about moments from her personal life than it is a paint-by-numbers biopic following her career in detail , however – in fact, her initial ascent with debut album Frank is skipped over in a short montage of her recording in LA. It can be argued, though, that her songs taking a back seat perhaps goes against the filmmakers’ intention of delivering the late star’s agency and ownership of herself and her
music back to her. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In Abela’s interpretation of Winehouse, she wears her brilliance lightly, bolshiness reminding us of the
Singer being just a teenager when she began to work professionally. Much has been made of Abela’s singing lacking compared to Winehouse’s powerhouse vocals, with the actress’s tones heard throughout the film. However, if Winehouse was so easy to mimic, would the quality of her sound and music have had the impact it did? In recent biopic Bob Marley: One Love , Kingsley Ben-Adir didn’t master the reggae superstar’s distinctive tone either – even with the assistance of mixing their vocals together – but that failed to stop his performance from shining, or being pulled apart. Abela is clearly not looking to become a carbon copy of the star either, but rather capture the essence of the private Amy the public saw less and less of as her demons began to define her – no thanks to the paparazzi packs on her tail. The Industry actress is a force of nature as a wounded and overwhelmed yet endlessly loving and upbeat girl called Amy: it’s just perhaps hard for us to know if this is the real Winehouse. That fragility though, is something that shone through in her music. One of the most surprising – and perhaps refreshingly unexpected – parts of Back to Black is Jack O’Connell’s presence as Blake Fielder-Civil , Winehouse’s ex-husband who has long been demonised as the architect of her downfall. The Skins and Lady Chatterley’s Lover star displays a charm that you can understand Winehouse falling for, with him later recognising their toxic-codependent relationship. Billie Piper reveals heartbreaking reason Amy Winehouse was bullied at school TV star blames accent for his lack of
Hollywood fame: 'There's f**k all I can do' Scoop's unexpected take on Prince Andrew's Newsnight disaster sees Rufus Sewell triumph Bizarre Amy Winehouse biopic drama as Mark Ronson's character 'axed' ‘They think I made you likes this,’ he says at one point, with Winehouse previously stating more than once that she’s anti-drugs – but her struggles with drinking, bulimia and self-harm are also referenced in the film. O’Connell’s Fielder-Civil is by no means excused, but Back to Black gives him more grace than most fans did as a young and brash-if-amiable geezer, whose regular drug-taking makes him the entirely the wrong person to embark on a relationship with someone as vulnerable – if strong-willed – as Winehouse. Winehouse’s family signed off on the film and serve in name as executive producers – but Fifty Shades of Grey filmmaker Taylor-Johnson has insisted that they had no say over the making of the film and what it could and couldn’t show. Her father Mitch is played by Eddie Marsan, who very effectively balances his portrayal of a loving yet slightly clueless father in how to help his daughter, while Winehouse’s mum Janis (Juliet Cowan) is more in the background, it seems owing to her multiple sclerosis. The most important person to Winehouse is clearly shown to be her nan Cynthia, a flamboyant and upbeat ex-jazz singer herself. Played comfortably by Oscar nominee Lesley Manville in a role that doesn’t stretch her, it is she who inspired both the singer’s trademark beehive and one of her many tattoos – as well as leaving her lost after her death. It is also more than a little distracting though that onscreen mother and son have just 12 years separating them, no matter how suitable their castings. Perhaps one of the greatest disservices Back to Black has done itself is to let some of its corniest dialogue be used in preview clips, from Winehouse’s ‘I ain’t no Spice Girl’ declaration, to the studio exec gushing, ‘No way you’re only 18!’ at a recording session. Matt Greenhalgh’s (Nowhere Boy, Control) script is not as cringey as those moments would have you believe, although it perhaps leans more towards serviceable than stunning. Back to Black is not as sanitised as previous musical biopics in recent years like Bohemian Rhapsody, but remains loving towards its central figure. However, Winehouse’s personal tragedy onscreen – while it does provide a stark reminder to us all at how society and the media have treated young
Women – still makes for slightly uncomfortable viewing. Back to Black is in cinemas on Friday, April 12. Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you. MORE : Billie Piper reveals heartbreaking reason Amy Winehouse was bullied at school MORE : Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black branded ‘disrespectful’ after revealing first song MORE : Billie Piper says Emily Maitlis will ‘absolutely love’ Scoop – although broadcaster confirms she’s still yet to see it