REVIEW: Back to Black: Does Amy Winehouse's biopic consecrate the singer's memory? 1a6b6s

This Thursday (16), Back to Black, the biopic of Amy Winehouse, premieres in Brazilian cinemas. Starring Marisa AbelDirected by Sam Taylor Johnson and scripted by Matt greenhalgh, portrays the story of one of the most emblematic singers of the century. t2z2j

Who was Amy Winehouse? 4x573v

The artist, who had a brief life amid controversy due to alcohol and drug abuse and media persecution, ed away in 2011. The official cause of death was alcohol poisoning, after a period of abstinence followed by excessive consumption, but she left a legacy in music, as well as a lot of nostalgia.

Amy Winehouse, one of the most iconic singers of the 21st century, was born in the suburb of Southgate, London. Daughter of Mitch winehouse, a taxi driver, and Janis Winehouse, a pharmacist, she grew up listening to jazz, soul and R&B, especially influenced by her grandmother Cynthia, who was a jazz singer. As a child, Amy already showed an interest in music and, at the age of 10, founded a rap band called Sweet 'n' Sour. At 14, she wrote her first songs, and at 16, she signed her first contract with a music agent.

In 2003, he released his debut album, Frank, which showcased his jazz style and lyrical ability. The album was well received by critics, earning nominations for Ivor Novello Awards. However, it was with their second album, Back to Black, released in 2006, that Amy became a global phenomenon. With hits like “Rehab”, “You Know I'm No Good” and “Back to Black”, the album sold millions of copies and won five Grammy awards, making Amy the first British woman to win so many awards in a single night.

Despite meteoric success, Amy Winehouse faced personal and public problems due to alcohol and drug addiction. Her song “Rehab” became an anthem, but it also reflected her own struggles. Embroiled in breakdowns and show cancellations, she struggled to keep her career stable. In 2007, she married Blake Fielder-Civil, with whom he had a tumultuous relationship. He was arrested on obstruction of justice and other charges, further affecting Amy's life.

In the following years, Amy's health deteriorated rapidly, and she appeared more in the tabloids than on the music scene. She tried to return to the stage several times, but was unable to maintain stability. On July 23, 2011, she was found dead in her home in Camden, London.

Amy Winehouse's legacy is lasting. She was one of the artists who revitalized soul and brought jazz into the mainstream. His unmistakable voice and style influenced a generation of artists.

After his death, his family created the Amy Winehouse Foundation to help young people struggling with addiction. In 2015, the documentary Amy, directed by Asif Kapadia, revealed the story of his life and personal struggles, and won the Oscar in the Best Documentary category.

Despite her untimely death, Amy Winehouse continues to be ed as one of the greatest voices of her generation, known as much for her vulnerability as her extraordinary talent.

Is the portrayal of Winehouse in cinemas honest with the singer's story? 2h3r6c

The film Back to Black, set on the streets of London, portrays the life of Amy Winehouse with Marisa Abel embodying the singer from her first steps in music until her consecration at the age of 20 with the album Frank and the contract with Island Records.

The narrative promises immersion through Winehouse's lyrics, which should serve as the backbone of the story. However, the film, directed by Sam Taylor Johnson with script of Matt greenhalgh, fails to superficialize Amy's meteoric rise with Back to Black. This album, a milestone in the industry with more than 16 million copies sold and five Grammys, is treated almost as a footnote, giving way to an exaggerated focus on the artist's personal weaknesses and mistakes.

The plot focuses on the most tragic aspects of Winehouse's life, such as her tumultuous marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil, played masterfully by Jack O'Connell, her emotional dependence and her decline due to addiction to drugs and alcohol. This narrative choice swings dangerously between sensationalism and an attempt at empathy, failing to capture Amy's true essence and musical genius.

Although Marisa Abela makes a commendable effort to channel Winehouse, re-recording some of the songs and imitating her mannerisms, the performance sometimes confuses the audience as to where Abela ends and Winehouse begins, a testament to both her skill and a possible directorial flaw that did not I was able to clearly distinguish the character of the interpreter.

The film sets out to show Amy through her own words and music, a commendable premise, but it executes this idea unevenly, oscillating between dramatic representation and biographical reality without a satisfactory balance. Back to Black had the potential to be an impactful and revealing portrait of one of the most iconic figures in modern music, but it gets lost in a sea of ​​dramatizations that overshadow the brilliance of his undeniable talent. In the end, what remains is a feeling of lost opportunity, where the vibrant essence of Amy Winehouse is overshadowed by a narrative that chose to explore its shadows more than its light.

Technical aspects 214466

Marisa Abela, known for her role in the series Industry, demonstrates courage and dedication in trying to capture the singer's mannerisms and voice in her performance. Winehouse's physical characterization is impeccable, and the scenarios where she had memorable ages are also memorable.

Under the direction of Sam Taylor-Johnson, who also worked on The boy from Liverpool, a biopic by John Lenon, and screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh, the film has been in development since 2011, but only came to life after years of planning. The soundtrack, by the talented Nick Cave, Warren Ellis and Giles Martin, is one of the film's highlights, offering a rich tapestry of sound that is, perhaps, the biggest attraction for fans. Abela's re-recordings of Winehouse songs add a touch of authenticity, although they sometimes blur the line between performance and Amy's actual persona.

Unfortunately, Taylor-Johnson's direction fails to avoid critical pitfalls. The narrative suffers from the speed with which it moves between important phases of his life, leaving gaps that make it difficult for the viewer to understand and reduce the fluidity of the biographical .

The interactions between Amy and Blake Fielder-Civil in the film provide an interesting contrast, tingeing the narrative with nuances of romantic comedy, despite the audience being aware of the tragic outcome of this relationship. However, the film tends to portray Blake predominantly as the story's villain. This occurs even though Amy's father, often criticized for his negative influence, is idealized as a good father in the plot, a discrepancy that deviates from the reality known to the singer's fans.

Amy's first meeting with Blake in a pub is marred by a joke about his resemblance to Pete Doherty, from The Libertines. This reference may generate discomfort among more detailed viewers, considering that, later in life, Amy was frequently seen in the company of Doherty, fueling rumors of a romance in some tabloids. This choice of dialogue in the film raises questions about the sensitivity of the screenwriters, given the real complexity of Amy's relationships.

Additionally, the choice of music Don't Look Back into the Sun from The Libertines to follow the beginning of Amy's relationship with Blake seems like an attempt to symbolically allude to this phase of the artist's life. However, this musical reference could be seen as both a sly nod to the chronology of her life and a simplification of the darker elements of her story.

Theatrical release 1v1r6m

The film will be released to the Brazilian public this Thursday (16) in all cinemas. In the United Kingdom, where it premiered on April 12, the film was not well received by critics, although it seems to have pleased the public.

On IMDb, it received a 6,6 rating from fans, some of whom criticized the film for not doing justice to Amy's legacy. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 38% approval rating from the specialized media, which described the work as “a cheap tabloid article”, criticizing it for being restrained and cowardly, attributes that, apparently, the singer never had.

After all, is it worth watching? 2t3a5n

The film, which promised to be a sensitive look at the trajectory of Amy Winehouse, slips into several aspects that could have enriched its narrative. Covering everything from her youth marked by a sweet closeness with her grandmother, a fan of pinups, to her turbulent days of fame, the film uses the singer's songs to tell her story. However, it is not a musical in the traditional sense, which could be a positive point, but ends up limiting the deeper exploration of the lyrics in their biographical context.

The representation of Amy, with her iconic mouth piercing and constant cigarette in hand, suggests an effort to capture her rebellious essence, but fails in crucial moments such as the hasty transition from her anonymity to stardom, a movement that deserved more development. The inclusion of characters like Nick, his manager and friend, and Blake, the central figure in his love life, adds personal dimensions, but the film fails to sufficiently explore the dynamics of his relationship with the stage, only touching superficially on criticisms of its performance.

The use of Valerie as a song wrongly portrayed as written by Winehouse is a big mistake in the script that distracts connoisseurs of her work, in fact, this is a song by the band The Zutons, but which became famous in Amy's voice.

Furthermore, the speed with which the film ends, following the Grammy awards, where Amy shines in a memorable way, until the announcement of her death, leaves a feeling of incompleteness. The choice to speed through important moments in his life, including the devastating impact of his heartbreak and the loss of his grandmother, who shaped him both aesthetically and emotionally, minimizes the complexity of his experience and struggle.

While Back to Black try to capture the essence of Amy Winehouse with a striking soundtrack and visually memorable scenes, the film fails to fully address the depth and tragedy of the singer's story. The result is an experience that, despite having exciting moments, ends up being somewhat superficial.

In short, while trying to musically pay homage to Winehouse's life, Back to Black becomes entangled in an execution that does not correspond to the artist's complexity and emotional depth. Despite presenting bright moments, particularly in the sound design and certain musical sequences, the film fails to truly capture the essence of one of the most unique and impactful voices of our time.

See also:

Documentary about pop music

Review: This is Pop, the documentary about the versatility of pop music

Sources: R, The Guardian, Euro News

Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim