Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse in director Sam Taylor-Johnson's BACK TO BLACK, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features
It was never going to be an easy task.
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, Back to Black is an ambitious undertaking, to say the least. While biopics are all the rage right now, few of them involve stories as complex and tragic as that of Amy Winehouse. For many, she was the voice of a generation. With her smooth and soulful vocals, she became a global phenomenon… but her passing left an equally painful scar on the hearts of her fans. With Back to Black, Taylor-Johnson tries to allow her star to shine brightly yet, in the end, struggles to achieve its goal.
Back to Black follows the rise to fame of musical icon Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela). Beginning in her early days in Camden, Winehouse was an extraordinary musical talent on the rise. But her life changed forever when she met Blake (Jack O’Connell), a young barfly who instantly draws her attention. As her star begins to skyrocket, her tumultuous relationship with Blake continues to hold her back, eventually leading her to a battle on the line between addiction and recovery.
Without question, Back to Black’s strongest asset is its lead. As the troubled songstress, Abela’s performance is absolutely sparkling. In every scene, Abela offers everything that’s asked of her. As Winehouse, Abela manages to convey the balance of fury and brokenness that defined her. In moments with Blake, she has an almost reckless abandon to her passion. In scenes where she’s alone, we can see the loneliness within her soul. What’s more, Winehouse’s most recognizable feature is her sultry voice and her music is brought to life with stunning accuracy. For a young woman who has very little experience singing, Abela absolutely shines.
But Back to Black’s issues don’t lie with its cast. Instead, the problem lies with the script itself.
Admittedly, the story of Winehouse simply feels like an almost impossible film to make. After all, this is a musical icon whose story is fueled by tragedy and complexity. But Matt Greenhalgh’s script seems unsure—or even afraid—to decide on a tone. On the one hand, the film holds Winehouse up in high esteem as a young woman of courage. Working in the British music scene, she had to defend the uniqueness of her style and voice. Backed by strong work from Abela, we watch as she stands up to those who believe that she needs to change her image in order to succeed. (“I ain’t no Spice Girl,” she demands.)
However, on the other hand, the film also isn’t entirely sure how to handle the topic of her addictions. While every addict differs in their story, Back to Black seems terrified to sit within the ambiguity of her struggles. Instead, the film seems to focus itself entirely on Winehouse and her addictive relationship with Blake. In doing so, Back to Black takes the complexity of addiction and, essentially, boils it down to easy answers. These moments lack the authentic emotional punch that is needed to unravel the pain of addiction in a healthy manner. In doing so, what could have been a true exploration of the traumatic journey within the devastation of addiction feels… empty. As unfortunate as it may be, it’s this lack of depth that bleeds Back to Black of its heart.
In short, this film about a soul singer actually lacks soul.
Back to Black is available in theatres on Friday, May 17th, 2024
