Marisa Abela Stars as Amy Winehouse in 'Back to Black' Biopic Drama Film

Back to Black (Courtesy of Focus Features)

Sam Taylor-Johnson's Back to Black official trailer and release date — Back to Black (Courtesy of Focus Features)

ICYMI. Focus Features debuted the official trailer for Back to Black, the biographical drama film of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black.

Starring in the movie are Marisa Abela as Amy, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville.

Release Date

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, Back to Black opens in US theaters on Friday, May 17th.

Synopsis

The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time.

Reviews

Independent review gave the film 2 of 5 stars, and wrote, “But melodrama always gets the upper hand (there’s a plot thread about Amy’s desire for a baby that is mawkish rather than moving). At several points, too, Winehouse is seen running for her life. And she’s often compared with animals (a small, caged bird and an intrepid London fox). The metaphors are so in your face they’re cringeworthy.”

It continued, “Back to Black is a fitfully enjoyable little package that will do wonders for the careers of Abela and O’Connell. But unlike Winehouse’s oeuvre, it’s not worth taking seriously. It’s just too afraid of the dark.”

On the other end of the spectrum, The Guardian review gave the film 4 of 5 stars, and called it ‘Sam Taylor-Johnson’s best film to date‘ writing, “Back to Black is essentially a gentle, forgiving film and there are other, tougher, bleaker ways to put Winehouse’s life on screen – but Abela conveys her tenderness, and perhaps most poignantly of all her youth, so tellingly at odds with that tough image and eerily mature voice.”