In the new biopic “Back to Black”, Amy Winehouse’s struggles of addiction, love for music and the hardships of romance are portrayed beautifully by Marisa Abela.
The acting is raw and full of talent, which opens up a perspective for outsiders to see what went on behind Winehouse’s fame. Abela did an outstanding job of embodying Winehouse’s short temper and hip old-school style.
The meaning behind Winehouse’s album “Back to Black” can give viewers and fans a new realization on what was happening to inspire the album’s songs and lyrics. Small details, such as her gradually increasing pain tolerance for getting tattooed, demonstrate her amplifying addiction which added to the sense of realism and created interest. I could see Winehouse’s rawness and admire how she did things not for fame but from her own enjoyment and love for what she does. Despite Winehouse’s attitude of doing things for herself rather than trying to please people, her relationship with her husband, Blake, was the exception to that rule. Despite his repetitive abandonment of her, she did everything she could to continue their relationship.
However, some more highlights of Winehouse’s talent would’ve been nice to see. It was captivating to see the pain balanced with what it is like to live a life of fame while suffering from addiction. It would’ve been interesting if the movie had gone more in depth and really dug into her highest highs and lowest lows; it maintained a pretty surface level portrayal. There were scenes I expected to last longer and carry more meaning, such as when Winehouse would come home after heavy drug abuse. There seemed to be a clear separation between Winehouse’s addiction and her career, but it would’ve been interesting to see more of how they impacted each other.
As someone who didn’t know much about Winehouse’s musical career, I would have enjoyed a little more screen time of her musical highlights and concerts. It was a powerful watch, it just felt like it was missing a sense of personal and emotional depth with respect to her addiction and family struggles.
Overall, “Back to Black” was a worthwhile watch and was informative, entertaining and emotional.
