Back to Black
Written by Matt Greenhalgh
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson
Starring Marisa Abela, Eddie Marsan, Jack O’Connell and Lesley Manville
Running time 2 hours and 2 minutes
MPAA Rating R for Language Throughout, Drug Use, Nudity, Sexual Content
Now playing in theaters

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief

“I want to be remembered as a singer.”

During our short time on this rotating sphere known as Earth, we periodically find ourselves in the same timeline as someone that is truly special. A person that makes us question if they are from another universe entirely. A diamond in the rough. They emit a light so bright that we simply can’t help but be attracted to their brilliance, like a moth to a flame. Sadly their presence is a mere flash, but one that manages to radiate even after they are gone. This was Amy Winehouse.

Back to Black attempts to share singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse’s story from the beginning of her career to the release of her award winning sophomore album “Back to Black” and her untimely death at the age of twenty-seven. This is a lot of ground to cover with a mere two hour runtime which makes for a story that inevitably feels surface level. Essentially, what the viewer is given is nothing more than standard music biopic fare: a weak story circumvented with musical performances. Despite this, as someone that had no prior knowledge of Amy, I found myself captivated by the sheer existence of this individual and have no regrets watching the picture.

When Winehouse’s “Back to Black” album was released in October 2006, I was not living my best life. I was a recent college graduate on the brink of a nervous breakdown whom declared herself a minimalist in preparation for a move to Los Angeles, and was selling off all my possessions including an extensive compact disc collection on a website, half.com. Music was not my priority, however the famed television program, The X-Files was. In 2006, while many were bopping along to Winehouse’s eclectic tunes, I was talking someone’s ear off about Spooky Mulder and Alex Krycek’s wooden hand. I somewhat prided myself on consistently being out of the loop on pop culture. I have never been one to follow trends and always seem to be at least seven steps behind the crowd which is why conversations with me tend to feel like a blast to the past. Dear reader, in case you didn’t know, I kinda have a thing for dead people (this is a plug to check out my movie pod: Cinematic Crypt). So it is rather fitting for me to learn about the existence of the awesomeness that was Amy after she departed this mortal coil twelve years ago.

Immediately following the screening of Back to Black, I fiercely pedaled home on my bike, dashed through the kitchen door, pulled up some Winehouse tunes on YouTube, while simultaneously reserving a copy of “Back to Black” from the library (I don’t belong to music subscription services; if I went this long without knowing about Amy, I could wait a couple weeks for the album to come in at the library). None of this would have transpired if it was not for the dazzling portrayal of Amy Winehouse by Marisa Abela. Marisa demands attention and manages to bewitch the audience with her presence. After watching some old videos of Amy and thinking back to Abela’s captivating performance (Marisa Abela did conduct most of the singing herself), there was a moment in which I thought I may have observed reincarnation. Abela’s full embodiment of Winehouse is what not only carries the film but makes it worth viewing. This can also be said for her costars as well.

Lesley Manville plays Amy’s grandmother Cynthia and shines. The scenes between Manville and Abela are not just amazing but memorable. Any moment in which these two graced the screen together was an absolute pleasure to witness. The same could be said for Eddie Marsan as well. In terms of where this picture suffers, all signs point to the script itself.

It is difficult to tell a tale of someone’s life without falling into the trapping of wanting to share their entire story. That type of rendition is best left served by a mini-series. In terms of a biopic, specifically one on a musical figure, it is best to focus on a specific aspect or time in their life (unless you are of course, Baz Luhrmann in which rules don’t apply as was seen in Elvis). The way in which Amy’s story is shared within Back to Black left me with questions. It shows her issues with addiction, depression, and desire to perform as a singer. What I feel it leaves out is empathy. Back to Black, only shows an exterior of a person and utilizes easily digestible reasons to explain a complex individual. The film shares snippets of the darkness but refuses to go fully inside the shadows to reveal the cause of the pain.

There is no doubt that Amy was one of a kind and has been influential to many artists. I found her homage to past sixties girl groups such as The Ronettes, The Shangri-Las, and Shirellas with her added flair to be inspiring. Amy’s ability to walk through this life with the appearance that she didn’t give a damn offers a simple take on someone that deserved more. For anything, I do believe it comes through that in the end all she cared about was the music itself and it was her experiences in life that fueled her creativity. Amy will be revered for generations to come and, just as she hoped, will be remembered not just as a singer, but as one of the greats.