Back to Black, a biopic of the supremely talented vocalist, Amy Winehouse, is a decent rendition of her ascent to stardom and her life struggles.
In London, Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela) is playing in local clubs and displaying her gifted songwriting and singing to adoring crowds, and eventually record company execs. Being close to her grandmother (Leslie Manville) and her father, she yearns for love and motherhood and thinks she finds it with Blake. The couple have a rocky relationship amid her alcohol dependence and personal demons. As the world discovers her music borne out of pain, she begins to win major acclaim and award recognition. Despite her efforts to rehab and have a semblance of a normal life, her past catches up to her.
A major theme of the film concerns personal loss and how Winehouse finds refuge through her addiction or solace on the stage. Writer Matt Greenhalgh and director Sam Taylor-Johnson attempt to explore her family life, but it still feels like a superficial story. Abela is fine and does her best to mimic the great Winehouse vocals, and Manville is the best thing here as the supportive Nan.
It
almost feels like a sanitized story and demands a more detailed exploration of
her life and creativity. In this regard, the film seems bland and uninspired. We don’t learn too much more about her life
than we already did, and as such, it would probably play best for general
audiences rather than loyal fans. Despite
some thick British accents, this feels
like a respectable film that misses its opportunity. There is a film to be
made of Amy WInehouse that gets to her soul and talent. This isn’t it.
***
of ***** stars (not for hardcore fans)
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