Biopic “Back to Black”
The tragically short life of Amy Winehouse
Perfectly cast: Marisa Abela plays Amy Winehouse in “Back o Black”.
© Dean Rogers STUDIOCANAL SAS
Amy Winehouse created a global career that ended in the cruelest way. “Back to Black” sheds light on the short life of the exceptional musician.
They are a constant and mostly successful constant in the film business: biopics about musicians. Johnny Cash (1932-2003) has already received one, as have Ray Charles (1930-2004), Elton John (77), Elvis Presley (1935-1977) as well as Whitney Houston (1963-2012), Edith Piaf (1915-1963). ) and Tina Turner (1939-2023), to name just a few. What they all – besides the unique Music – what unites them is their human dramas off stage.
However, only for a few music stars did the tragedy take on such reverent proportions as for the exceptional British singer Amy Winehouse (1983-2011). Her death on July 23, 2011 made her the youngest of the well-known members of “Klub 27”, that terrible list of stars who passed away at the age of just 27 – like Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) before her ), Janis Joplin (1943-1970), Jim Morrison (1943-1971) and Kurt Cobain (1967-1994). On April 11th, “Back to Black”, the biography about the rapid rise and catastrophic fall of Amy Winehouse, opens in cinemas.
“I’m not a Spice Girl!” – It’s all about this
“Back to Black” tells the story of the young Amy Jade Winehouse (Marisa Abela, 27), who, in addition to the quarrels at school, stands out for her incredible singing voice. Through her father Mitch (Eddie Marsan, 55), a London taxi driver, Amy got to know and love jazz at an early age. Finally she tried herself as a singer and songwriter.
It doesn’t take long for the newcomer to find her stage in the clubs of Camden. She inspires the audience with her authentic lyrics, her extraordinary voice and her unique charisma. Talent scouts also noticed her early on and her meteoric rise in the music world began. But those who climb high can fall even lower.
Who is the Winehouse lookalike?
Thick eyeliner, eye-catching beehive hairstyle and a penchant for retro rockabilly dresses – if the template weren’t so tragic, Amy Winehouse’s look would be perfect as a carnival or Halloween costume. In “Back to Black,” actress Marisa Abela takes on the role of the singer and looks incredibly similar to her, given her petite stature.
If you’re wondering where you know Abela from, she was recently seen in the cinema in a completely different form. In the mega success “Barbie” she played a small role as “Teen Talk Barbie” with a blonde curly mane and a colorful outfit. Meanwhile, Abela may be well known to series fans thanks to her leading role in the HBO drama series “Industry”, in which she wants to assert herself in the tough world of finance as a young investment banker.
In “Back to Black” Abela plays a fragile and determined Winehouse, who makes it clear even before her global career begins that she doesn’t want to be distorted: “Let one thing be clear: I’m not a Spice Girl!” At the same time, the film is intended to convey that Winehouse never wrote and sang her songs with the sole aim of being successful – but rather to combat her inner demons: “I don’t write songs to be famous. I write songs because I have something “You have to turn something bad into something good.”
A long time in the making
There have been plans for a biopic about Amy Winehouse for almost ten years. But only now did it work: “Back to Black” is directed by director Sam Taylor-Johnson (57), the wife of the supposedly designated new Bond actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson (33). Her career as a director so far is manageable, but in 2015 she was entrusted with the start of the “Fifty Shades” series.
In the biopic, Sam Taylor-Johnson connects Winehouse’s youth and personal life with her short career, which produced such timeless songs as “Rehab” and the titular “Back to Black”. The film also sheds light on the role Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O’Connell, 33) played in her downfall.