The Plot: Singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela) isn’t interested in being another Spice Girl. Her songs come from who she is, where she’s from and what she’s feeling at any moment in time. She has a close relationship with her grandmother Cynthia (Lesley Manville) while her taxi driver father Mitch (Eddie Marsan) is the sounding board that’s there when she needs him. When she meets cocky lad Blake (Jack O’Connell) in the pub, she’s instantly smitten and they begin a passionate but volatile relationship. Professional success comes at a high price though when the personal side begins to falter…
The Verdict: It would seem that any filmmaker approaching the story of the late, award-winning London musician Amy Winehouse is immediately going to get caught up in the controversy surrounding her all-too-short life and career. This need not be something to get all worked up about though. Back in 2015, ace documentarian Asif Kapadia tackled her in his Amy film and the result was a fascinating insight into the dark side of fame and fortune. Now it’s the turn of Sam Taylor-Johnson to portray the dramatised life of Winehouse or more accurately the most important segment of it: the creation of her second and final album Back To Black of which the distinctive song lends the film its title. The title also acts as a reflection on the up-down nature of conducting a relationship in the harsh glare of the ever-present paparazzi cameras.
With a true life story this rich in detail and character, it would take a filmmaker to really work hard to mess it up. That doesn’t mean it was a cake walk for Taylor-Johnson. There are a number of plot landmines lurking about, like Winehouse’s drink and drug addiction and the toxic relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil. Taylor-Johnson has not ignored these troubling aspects of Winehouse’s life, but doesn’t necessarily feel the need to dwell on them either. It’s a respectful film then, but not reverential. She’s more interested in what made Winehouse tick as a young woman, a singer-songwriter, a lover and a daughter. By toning down some of the white noise surrounding Winehouse’s brief life, she’s instead left room to dial up Winehouse’s strong personality, powerful singing voice and inestimable talent, leaving her mark on the music world and beyond. It’s a wise decision.
This is where Matt Greenhalgh’s script scores major points in moving away from a traditional biopic to focus on a multi-note character piece. The focus is on Winehouse’s journey through the latter years of her life, writing what she knew and felt (ex-boyfriends beware) and dismissing record companies that want to mould her into a more easily-sold package. Her life is in her songs and vice versa – this is a point that Greenhalgh and Taylor-Johnson re-inforce throughout with a tinge of sadness and a sense of humour too. If Taylor-Johnson had set out to capture the essence of Winehouse and distill it into cinematic form, then she’s definitely succeeded in that regard. The whole film is infused with Winehouse’s presence and music (helped along by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis), but she’s also importantly viewed through the prism of other characters too. From a certain perspective, the key relationship in the film is not with Blake Fielder-Civil but her grandmother Cynthia (an excellent Lesley Manville) who understands and loves her the most.
It would take a gifted actor to take on such a challenging lead role that requires her to be in almost every scene and various emotional states. A star is born with relative newcomer Marisa Abela, who not only fully embodies Winehouse but also sang her songs on set too. It’s a striking and affecting performance that moves beyond the more typical range of an imitation or an impression. Abela the actor disappears into the character, so that she simply becomes Winehouse – that is the nature of real acting talent. It’s a performance that rings true, along with the overall film itself. Back To Black hits the right notes and swerves around the more dodgy ones with caution, but its soulful voice comes through as loud and clear as its subject.
Rating: 4 / 5
Review by Gareth O’Connor
In short: Hits the right notes
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.
Starring Marisa Abela, Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan, Lesley Manville.