Back to Black

Like a lot of recent biopics Back to Black does a perfectly fine job but fails to really provide great depth or insight into its subject.

Considering her short career and life, this biopic took the not unreasonable approach of trying to cover all of Amy's career, but I think is where is perhaps becomes a bit unstuck. It covers all of these events well but at times it is simply replaying the events rather than exploring the people behind them.

That is where this film failed to really capture me. I felt like it explored Amy's career and her impact on the music scene on a bit of a surface level. It explored her relationship with Blake on too much of a surface level. Likewise some of her family relationships and addiction issues were a bit too surface level. I think this film needed to really find a focus and provide more of an insight into Amy. I left the film not really knowing more or understanding Amy on a deeper level than I already did.

That being said, there is still plenty to enjoy about this film. The performances are all really good, particularly Marisa Abela as Amy. Her singing is also incredible. It isn't of course as good as Amy's but is never a distraction. Then there is Jack O'Connell as Blake who again is really strong. The chemistry between them is spot on.

So overall it is a pretty strong biopic, but it perhaps keeps a little too much distance from Amy without diving in as deep as it could have done. The strong performance from Abela, the great music, and the decent command of the events of Amy's life make it a well worth watch though.

Marisa Abela's portrayal of Amy Winehouse is a standout in an otherwise messy film. Her performance is a solid 10/10 and deserves a standing ovation.

But the film itself falls short, tangled in a disjointed script that leaves the audience emotionally adrift. There's a big disconnect between the characters and the viewers, making it hard to really connect with the story. In contrast, Asif Kapadia's documentary "Amy" broke our hearts by offering an intimate look into the life of a woman many of us never met but felt we knew by the end.

For those who don't know Winehouse's tumultuous journey, this film doesn't offer much clarity. It meanders through her life, failing to paint a clear picture of the real Amy. Despite the stellar cast, their great performances can't save the film's fragmented storytelling.

The movie glosses over crucial aspects of Amy's life, simplifying her complex struggles into a narrative that lacks the emotional depth and authenticity that her story deserves.

The performance by Marisa Abela is brilliant, she is Amy Winehouse. However, if you know anything about Amy Winehouse you know that she had an incredibly unique voice, suffered with addictions & was hounded by the press. None of this is shown to its true potential in the film, which to be honest is disappointing. I expected to hear more of her singing and performing. The picture paints her Dad Mitch & husband as 'not bad blokes'. Neither of them were good blokes. Her Dad, should have & could have been far more supportive & intervened at her most desperate. Blake was an out & out addict, the film does not portray the impact that either of them had on Amy. Rocket Man, Bohemian Rhapsody & Elvis nailed their stories, sadly Back to Black doesn't.

The film captures the self destructive and addictive demons that surrounded Amy Winehouse and I think doesn't truly depict the character portrayal of her husband and father as they are shown as better characters than they were.

Strong performances but I thought disappointing ending .

The singing of Marisa Abela is excellent and acting all around very strong . Just not enough depth and oomph in the overall result.

The addictive 'love' story if that's what it was is captured well and illustrates that period in London quite well for anyone who is a younger viewer.

I'm always amazed that showing drug use and alcohol addiction with the strong language is still rated at 15 but maybe I'm just getting old.

Make your own mind up Slight mistake in the film when she leaves prison and an electric LEVC TXE taxi is in the shot which wasn't actually made at that point.

The key credit to this film was Marisa Abela's portrayal of Amy.

Jack O'Connell is one of my firm faves and can bring charisma to any character he plays.

The film uses Amy's songs to fit in with the narrative, rather than the accurate timeline in which they were released.

It was an entertaining watch but offered a simplified view of Amy's life and turned it into nothing more than a toxic love story. The relationship with her parents wasn't really covered and the timeline of events didn't show how a mix of fame and drugs can take their toll over time.

I watched the 2015 documentary 'Amy' shortly after and would recommend this if you're wanting an insight into the life of Amy Winehouse.

This film would be good as a fictional film about made up people, but average as a biopic about a real person's life.