| Back to Black (2024) | |
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Rating: N/A/10 (N/A votes) Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson Writer: Matt Greenhalgh Stars: Marisa Abela, Eddie Marsan, Jack O'Connell Runtime: 122 min Rated: N/A Genre: Biography, Drama, Music Released: 17 May 2024 |
| Plot: The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. | |
Sam Taylor-Johnson’s biopic of the singer Amy Winehouse, whose meteoric rise to stardom was then hit with tragedy as addictions led to a far too early passing from this world, doesn’t offer much insight into the singer that we didn’t already know, and may offer a pretty diluted and sanitised version of events, but that didn’t prevent me from finding enjoyment in watching it play out.
Amy Winehouse’s love for music and singing came from her nan, Cynthia, and her dad, Mitch, with a particular love of jazz which fed into her musical style. Picked up by Simon Fuller’s 19 Management, her first album, Frank propelled her into stardom, and the follow up album Back To Black cemented her as an icon in the industry, whilst her outspoken attitude and personal life captured the attentions of the press seeking a story to splash on their front pages. In amongst the turmoil, she found the love of her life in Blake Fielder-Civil – a love that would (according to the press) initiate the start of her tragic downfall. This film attempts to re-contextualise that love story as the core element of Amy’s story, and in doing so humanises Blake, a person whose character has been demonised by the press throughout the years, and makes us understand why he meant so much to Amy.
In the casting, Marisa Abela looks the part, has the swagger, the spark of humour, and can certainly lend her voice to some iconic tunes. She inhabits the presence of Amy Winehouse well enough to draw you in and make you care for the life being presented on screen. Jack O’Connell plays Blake as all charm and smarm, and he is shown as a troubled addict who – contrary to how the gutter press in the UK showed him – didn’t engineer Amy’s downfall, or drag her kicking and screaming down with him into a spiral of drugs and loutish behaviour. Instead he is lent a flawed human approach here, and whilst his ‘cheeky chappie’ nature may still rub some folk the wrong way, it is easy to see how Amy and he gelled so well. Eddie Marsan is a welcome addition to the cast as Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s father, who supports her musical career, whilst (as any father would) despairing at some life decisions she makes.
The overall sympathetic approach to Amy’s life is certainly a welcome take after many years of tabloid sensationalising of the singer’s life, but it also offers far too generic an approach at the same time. Much like Bohemian Rhapsody, it is stripped of any real depth, facts are glossed over, and whilst you can’t help but tap your toes to some wonderfully belted out tunes, you don’t feel that you’ve actually learned anything about Amy’s life of substance. Sticking to the biopic formula, the overall effect is a film that entertains whilst viewing, but feels lacking somewhere along the way.
But, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected – possibly because I’d watched First Omen just before it, and so anything would seem better after that experience. If you want a film with more insight into Amy Winehouse, then the 2015 documentary Amy is where you should look. If you, however, just want a simple glossary of the singer’s life, well acted and presented, then Back to Black is worth checking out.
