Pisaries Creator

This short movie review has a few spoilers!

Noooo, Nooooo, Noooooooo

Most biopics about singers or bands tend to be linear in time and straightforward when it comes to the story because when you’re famous for whatever reason, it’s hard to include anything new or surprises for the audience. Back to Black is about Amy Winehouse’s short life as a singer. Winehouse is played by Marisa Abela and has a close relationship with her father and grandmother. Eddie Marsan plays her father, Mitch, and Lesley Manville plays her grandmother, Cynthia. They both support her no matter what and when she releases her debut album in 2003, they are the first ones backing her music career. Her lyrics and soulful voice send her further into the spotlight with her second album in 2006.

She finds it difficult to juggle her professional and personal life as she gains worldwide fame. The relationship with her husband Blake Fielder-Civil who is played by Jack O’Connell is sidelined with drugs and alcohol. After more negatives than positives, Blake divorces Amy. She does her own rehabilitation and appears to be on track to enjoying a more structured lifestyle. I’m not sure how accurate Amy’s eventual return to alcohol is at the end of the movie, but her mental psyche seemed fragile throughout her life. It seems likely she let her heart have most of the power when it came to relationships with friends and family and lovers. I didn’t know too much about Amy Winehouse before this movie. I can’t say I know a lot more since watching this biopic.

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Parting Comments on Back to Black

Abela was able to capture Winehouse’s personality and applaud taking singing lessons in order to portray Winehouse convincingly. I always enjoy watching O’Connell. He’s a great actor. Back to Black doesn’t blow me out of the water in terms of performance, but I didn’t find it awful to watch either. This movie is average and at this time, that’s perfectly okay.

I rate Back to Black THREE FINGERS at 77%.