Monday, 15 April 2024 15:53

Back to Black

back to black

BACK TO BLACK

 

UK, 2024, 122 minutes, Colour.

Marisa Abella, Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan, Lesley Manville, Juliet Cowan, Sam Buchanan.

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

 

Back to Black is the title of one of Amy Winehouse’s best-known songs.

There is a television series titled Too Young to Die. Certainly a title for a film portrait of singer, Amy Winehouse, dying in 2011 at the age of 27, it already a five-time Grammy winner, awards in the UK, popularity in the United States.

For audiences who are familiar with Amy Winehouse and her career, this is a two-hour overview portrait of her life and and musical success. Fans of the film are enthusiastic. Critics less so, delving into the film and its screenplay and criticisms of simplification – which is always the case in two-hour film which does not intend to give a full life story. For those fans, there is a documentary by celebrated director, Asif Kapadia, Amy, 2015, which also runs for over two hours.

One of the difficulties in a film about Amy Winehouse is that, while she had enormous popularity with her career songs, many people did not respond well to her as a person, as a personality. Again, for those who are fans, there is plenty to see and reflect on in this film. For those who do not respond well to her, the screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh, who had been tuned into British music history with his portrait of Ian Curtis of Joy Division, Control, 2007, biography of the young John Lennon, Nowhere Boy (2009), the portrait of the London entrepreneur, Paul Raymond, The Look of Love, 2013, works well. Within the first 10 minutes of the film, there is a sequence of the older Amy rushing headlong down the street, then situating Amy and her family, the Jewish background, her ability to sing, relationship with her fatherNan, Eddie Marsan, who is separated from her mother, and her loving man, Lesley Manville.

While there are many of the songs, and star Marisa Abella, who offers what is often called a powerhouse performance, singing herself, there is also a musical score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

The film shows the ability of Amy Winehouse and her powerful voice, her love of jazz, and not wanting to be seen as another Spice Girl, the steps of her rising fame, singing in the pubs, the attention of producers, companies, records, popularity, awards, finding the right time for being inserted into the US musical consciousness, the tours, and, ultimately, five Grammy awards.

On the other hand, Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27 alcoholic poisoning. She is a wilful personality, ambitious, violent outbursts, especially towards the video producer, Blake (Jack O’Connell), an addict, who becomes the object of her love and infatuation, an up-and-down relationship, her violence towards him, his prison term, a divorce – yet, as the screenplay highlights, the continual reference to him in her songs, and during their time together, his presence at her concerts.

Which means that this is also a very sad story of a young woman, alcoholic, suffering from bulimia, anti-drug yet introduced to them, unwilling to go to rehab but finally agreeing (and the hit song Rehab), the deep desire for family and children, sober for a time, yet relapsing and dying.

The film has been directed by Sam Taylor Johnson who also directed Nowhere Boy, the film about John Lennon.

  1. The title? Amy Winehouse and her career, hit songs?
  2. The London settings, the 1990s, the 2000s? London suburbs, streets and homes, Camden, the pubs, the concert venues, offices and studios, rehab? The scenes in the US, the concerts, Florida, the wedding? The background of Amy Winehouse’s life?
  3. The music, the songs, the lyrics, the performance, throughout the film, songs at home, background, award occasions?
  4. The opening, Amy running, symbolic? At home, the Jewish background and songs, her singing Fly me to the Moon? Mitch joining in? Family atmosphere, living with her mother, her parents separated, the importance of her relationship with her Nan? The box of photos? At home with her mother, her father taxi driving? Nan and her career, her vision for Amy?
  5. Amy, drinking, her attitude towards drugs? The wilful personality, drinking? The contact from Nick, performances, contracts, manager? The companies? Her records, the British public, popularity, her continuing success? The issue of America? Her reluctance? A new manager, the company board, their attitude towards the right time for America? Eventually going, performances? Her return to America, marrying Blake in Florida?
  6. Amy and her age, experience, the encounter with Blake, playing pool, his singing, his discovering who she was? The bonding, competition, his girlfriend? The invitation for a cup of tea, his arrival, the relationship, the jealousy of the girlfriend? The rocky relationship, Amy and her devotion to Blake, the drinking, the outbursts, hitting him, his reactions? The up-and-down relationship? Her father’s disapproval? Nan and her support? The reaction to the wedding?
  7. Mitch, his background, the divorce, supporting Amy, her success, his pride, his reprimands?
  8. The ups and downs of the marriage, violence, Blake and his arrest, going to jail, background of his drugs, cocaine, Amy’s reactions? The visit to jail, his wanting a divorce?
  9. Amy, her wanting a family, wanting a family with Blake? Disappointment at not being pregnant?
  10. The joy of the Grammy awards, Tony Bennett, family, friends, the speech?
  11. Amy and her drinking, the consequences? The pressure of the paparazzi, always there, the photographs, calling out to her? In the media, photos, the magazines?
  12. The issue of rehab, talking with her father, going to the rehab – and the later success of the Rehab song?
  13. Lee Mia, alcohol, relationships, her young age, disappointment about pregnancy, her death?
  14. Age 27, achievements, yet a whole life before her? Her place in British popular music?
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