Amy Winehouse passed away in 2011 and subsequently an Oscar winning documentary was made, titled Amy (2015). I enjoyed that film and the information it provided about the award-winning artist. When I heard Back to Black is a biopic about Winehouse, I was baffled as to why try to tell her story again. After viewing it, I learned more about her meeting Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O’Connell, Ferrari, “Rogue Heroes” TV series) who she fell head over heels within minutes and the additional details of their relationship that caused her so much pain. If they were mentioned in the documentary, I don’t remember them as clearly as is portrayed in the biopic. The same goes for her father, Mitch (Eddie Marsan) who truly loved her, gave her some room for decision making, although it may not have been the best thing for his daughter in the long run.
Prior to viewing Back to Black, I did not recognize the British actress Marisa Abela, cast in the leading role as Winehouse. She was in the film Rogue Agent (2022) and this was familiar but even then, her features are so different with the hair and makeup for Back to Black by Peta Dunstall (Makeup & Hair Designer) and a long list of credited/uncredited artists. Kudos to that entire team. Abela is transformed by the hair and makeup to look like Winehouse, but her performance throughout the film is what keeps the audience engaged and reveals more about the destructive relationship she and Blake had.
The film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, Nowhere Boy) from a screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh (Nowhere Boy, Control). The script does show Amy (Abela) as a teen who plays guitar and writes songs. (Here the Makeup Department does an excellent job of transforming the actress into a more youthful teen.) The parents, although separated, and other family members are present in Amy’s life and her closest is her Nan (a term of endearment for grandmother) Cynthia (Lesley Manville, perfect in the role). Cynthia, a former nightclub performer, was very supportive of Amy’s aspirations and taught her “the look” from decades past, including the teased hair and eye makeup. Amy knew what she wanted for her life and was quite a tough cookie when it came to negotiations.
She was performing (singing/playing guitar) and was noticed by a potential manager, Nick Shymansky (Sam Buchanan). Amy learned about many jazz greats from her Nan Cynthia, thus leading to her first recording a jazz album titled “Frank.” Amy was ready to buck the music industry system and one line that stays with me is Amy telling Nick, “I’m no fuckin’ Spice Girl.”
Amy takes a break from what she is facing with music at this point, but while at a pub her life is changed upon meeting Blake and his current girlfriend. Once Blake informs Amy about the Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack,” and begins lip-syncing to it, the audience knows Amy is hooked. There are plenty of scenes of their passionate meet ups and all the drugs/drug life Blake leads. The huge impact this leaves on her ultimately goes into her songwriting for the album “Back to Black,” earning several Grammy awards.
There is plenty of music in the film that is quite enjoyable. The entire film is satisfactory, and all the performances are excellent. I would recommend viewing the film even if you did view the documentary.
MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 122 minutes. Arrives in theaters May 17th 2024 – check local listings for showtimes.
Source: Focus Features
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