Movie Review: ‘Back to Black’

Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse in director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Back To Black,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Dean Rogers/Focus Features.

In theaters on Friday, May 17th, ‘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 cut tragically short at 27 due to alcohol poisoning.

Sam Taylor-Johnson, who also made ‘Nowhere Boy’ (which focused on the earlier life of John Lennon), tackles another well-known UK performer, but the result here is nowhere near as successful.

Related Article: Marisa Abela and Director Sam Taylor-Johnson Talk ‘Back to Black’

Is ‘Back to Black’ a Decent Musical Biopic?

Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse in director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Back To Black,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Dean Rogers/Focus Features.

It feels like we’ve been besieged by biopics of musical legends of late. With ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ scoring an Oscar for star Rami Malek, many more of the genre that had either been lingering in development limbo or not even considered were suddenly hauled out into active forward movement. In the last couple of years alone, we’ve seen the likes of Elvis Presley (and Priscilla Presley), Leonard Bernstein and Bob Marley brought to screens via movies that, for the most part, focus on specific chunks of their lives and careers.

So to have a chance at standing out, ‘Back to Black’, which certainly features a fascinating, troubled subject at its core in British crooner Amy Winehouse, would have to be something special. Regrettably, outside of a superb central performance by ‘Industry’s Marisa Abela, this new example of the genre singularly fails to offer much in the way of a fresh take.

‘Back to Black’: Script and Direction

(L to R) Actor Marisa Abela and director Sam Taylor-Johnson on the set of ‘Back To Black,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Dean Rogers/Focus Features.

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

It’s not entirely his fault –– Winehouse’s life and career certainly boasts some familiar beats in terms of creativity and struggles with addiction. Originally just a casual weed smoker and binge-drinker, her relationship with beau Blake Fielder-Civil turned her on to the idea of crack and other narcotics, but the script simply doesn’t find a way to bring it all to the screen without coming across as cliched. And there are some truly groan-worthy, only-in-a-biopic lines, such as Winehouse’s initial refusal to go to rehab. There’s taking inspiration from the artists’ lyrics, but then there’s verging 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 ciphers that it takes talented actors to do much with (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 most certainly less than the sum of its parts. Were it not for Abela’s luminous work and Winehouse’s clever, emotion-packed lyrics, there would be little to recommend this one beyond big fans of the singer. But even many of those are likely to walk away unsatisfied. If you already know the story, you won’t find much in the way of extra layers or insight here.

‘Back to Black’: Performances

(L to R) Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse and Jack O’Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil in director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Back To Black,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Dean Rogers/Focus Features.

If there is anything that serves as the movie’s saving grace, it’s the powerhouse central performance from Marisa Abela, who completely inhabits Winehouse’s skin. She’s got the look (partly thanks to some effective work by the make-up and hair department) and the cheeky/depressive style of the singer down pat. She almost overcomes the limitations of the movie around her, her Amy a bucketful 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 movie such as this, works well, Abela impressively pulling most of it off herself, with judicial use of the real Winehouse here and there.

As her future husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, Jack O’Connell is… fine? His most impressive scene is his introduction, meeting Amy in the local watering hole and striding in the cat that got the cream, sweeping her off her feet with music references and his laddish charisma. But as the story progresses, he begins to fade away, the screenplay offering him little to chew on, Fielder-Civil reduced to a moaning partner who at times treats Amy’s feelings like his personal plaything.

As her father Mitch, Eddie Marsan turns in a predictably solid performance as the reliable, trustworthy, proud dad whose heart breaks as his daughter dives into drugs as her success level explodes. Yet the role calls upon him to do little other than worry, one speech in particular bringing the character to life, but that’s about it.

Beyond the central trio, Lesley Manville has one or two fun scenes as Amy’s stylish, inspirational singer grandmother, but as the real-life story dictates, she’s moved off screen relatively soon.

‘Back to Black: Final Thoughts

Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse in director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Back To Black,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Dean Rogers/Focus Features.

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

If someone tries to make you go to ‘Back to Black’, your answer might best 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 through 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 embraces 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 in 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 to R) Musician Nick Cave, director Sam Taylor-Johnson and musician Warren Ellis during a scoring session of ‘Back to Black’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features.

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