Movie review: ‘Back to Black’

In theaters Friday, May 17, ‘Back to Black’ aims to chronicle the rise of jazz-influenced singer Amy Winehouse, who became one of the most successful British artists of all time, but saw her life and career tragically cut short at the age of 27. her due to alcohol poisoning.

Sam Taylor-Johnson, who also made ‘Nowhere Boy’ (which focused on John Lennon’s former life), tackles another well-known UK performer, but the result here isn’t as successful.

Is ‘Back to Black’ a Decent Musical Biopic?

It seems that lately we have been besieged by biographical films of musical legends. With ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ scoring an Oscar for star Rami Malek, many more members of the genre who had been in development limbo or not even considered were suddenly swept into active forward movement. In just the last few years, we’ve seen the likes of Elvis Presley (and Priscilla Presley), Leonard Bernstein, and Bob Marley brought to screens through films that, for the most part, focus on specific parts of their lives and careers.

So to have a chance of standing out, ‘Back to Black’, which certainly features a fascinating and problematic subject in British singer Amy Winehouse, would have to be something special. Unfortunately, apart from a superb central performance from ‘Industry’s’ Marisa Abela, this new example of the genre doesn’t offer much in the way of fresh insight.

‘Back to Black’: Screenplay and Direction

Matt Greenhalgh, who previously collaborated with Taylor-Johnson on ‘Nowhere Boy’ and wrote the excellent ‘Control’ (about fellow Brit Joy Division), here doesn’t quite get the necessary vibe that would make the story really come to life.

It’s not entirely her fault: Winehouse’s life and career certainly feature some familiar rhythms in terms of creativity and struggles with addiction. Originally just an occasional marijuana smoker and a compulsive drinker, her relationship with her boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil led her to the idea of ​​crack cocaine and other narcotics, but the script just can’t find a way to bring it all to the screen without coming. It seems like a cliché. And there are some truly complaint-worthy lines that only appear in a biopic, like Winehouse’s initial refusal to go to rehab. It draws inspiration from the artists’ lyrics, but then veers into ‘Walk Hard’ parody territory.

It doesn’t help that beyond Winehouse and possibly Fielder-Civil, the vast majority of the other roles are underwritten figures that require talented actors to do much (more on that below).

As for Taylor-Johnson’s direction, it’s mostly a back-to-basics approach that itself offers little invention and rarely does Winehouse justice. One or two moments work effectively, but the whole is certainly less than the sum of its parts. If it weren’t for Abela’s luminous work and Winehouse’s intelligent, emotional lyrics, there would be little to recommend it beyond the singer’s big fans. But even many of them are likely to leave unsatisfied. If you already know the story, you won’t find many extra layers or information here.

‘Back to Black’: Performances

If there’s one thing that serves as the film’s saving grace, it’s the powerful central performance of Marisa Abela, who completely inhabits Winehouse’s skin. She has the look (partly thanks to some effective work by the makeup and hair department) and the sassy/depressive style of the singer. She almost surpasses the limitations of the film around her, her Amy a bucket full of charm that you root for, even as she descends into an all-too-familiar spiral of sex and drugs.

The singing, always an important element of a film like this, works well, Abela impressively accomplishing most of it herself, with a judicial use of the real Winehouse here and there.

As her future husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, Jack O’Connell is… okay? His most impressive scene is her introduction, when he meets Amy at the local watering hole and walks with the cat who received the cream, wooing her with musical references and her youthful charisma. But as the story progresses, he begins to fade, the script offering him little to chew on, Fielder-Civil reduced to a whiny sidekick who sometimes treats Amy’s feelings like his personal toy.

As her father Mitch, Eddie Marsan gives a predictably strong performance as the reliable, trustworthy and proud father whose heart breaks when his daughter immerses herself in drugs while her level of success explodes. However, the role asks him to do little more than worry, one speech in particular brings the character to life, but that’s about it.

Beyond the central trio, Lesley Manville has a fun scene or two as Amy’s elegant and inspiring singing grandmother, but as real-life history dictates, she exited the screen relatively soon.

‘Back to black: final thoughts

Given the memorable story and real-life inspiration, ‘Back to Black’ doesn’t really do it much justice either. Outside of Abela, this isn’t much to write home about, and it’s largely an average musical biopic with familiar notes.

If someone tries to force you to go back to ‘Back to Black’, your best response might be “no, no, no…”

‘Back to Black’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.

What is the plot of ‘Back to Black’?

The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s (Marisa Abela) early rise to fame from her early days in Camden to the making of her groundbreaking album, ‘Back to Black’ that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and encompasses the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time. .

Who is part of the cast of ‘Back to Black’?

• Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse
• Jack O’Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil
• Eddie Marsan as Mitch Winehouse
• Juliet Cowan as Janis Collins-Winehouse
• Lesley Manville as Cynthia Winehouse

(L-R) Musician Nick Cave, director Sam Taylor-Johnson and musician Warren Ellis during a musical session for ‘Back to Black,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features.

Other movies similar to ‘Back to Black’:

Buy Amy Winehouse music on Amazon