Back to Black chronicles Amy Winehouse's rise to fame 

Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, A Million Little Pieces, Nowhere Boy) directs Matt Greenhalgh's script chronicling British R&B singer Amy Winehouse's (Marisa Abela) music and life from adolescence to adulthood, her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O'Connell), the creation of her bestselling second album, Back to Black, and her eventual alcohol-poisoning death at 27 years old. (122 min.)

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• Courtesy Photo By Dean Rogers/Focus Features
• 27 CLUB Screening in local theaters, the new biopic Back to Black explores the life and music of British singer Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela), who died of alcohol poisoning at 27.

Glen I love Amy Winehouse's music, so I knew the soundtrack would slay, and I knew her tragic life story, so I knew what to expect. I wasn't sure this biopic would have anything to add to what we learned in director Asif Kapadia's fantastic and moving 2015 documentary, Amy. Comparing the two films is probably a fool's errand, but I would argue Back to Black glosses over a lot of the parts of Winehouse's story that were more thoroughly explored in Amy. Taylor-Johnson's film is much more sympathetic to Winehouse's father, Mitch (Eddie Marsan), and Amy's erstwhile husband, Blake. That said, Marisa Abela was fantastic as Amy, singing her music and embodying her mercurial energy, and I came out of this new film having a much better understanding of Winehouse's music. It's missing some pieces, but this is a terrific movie about a complicated and talented artist.

Anna I, too, am familiar with Winehouse, her story, and her tragically early death. After the documentary a few years ago, I wasn't sure the world needed this biopic. Sometimes these types of films can feel like they're being made to settle a score or alter the public's perception of a star's story. This film didn't try to tiptoe around Amy's demons, but instead it worked hard to create a picture of the whole. When someone is lost young, especially to addiction, it can unfortunately eclipse the rest of their image. While we may talk about Winehouse's unpolished public life or how terribly sad it is that she's a part of that unlucky 27 Club, the truth of the matter is that she was simply a young woman—one who loved her family and fought for them fiercely—a woman with dreams of being a mother and wife, someone who just wanted to make her Nan proud. It's utterly humanizing to her story. Kudos to Abela for taking on the role and voice of this icon—she absolutely nailed it.

Glen I was also impressed by O'Connell as Blake. The scene when they meet in a pub—and he introduces her to '60s American girl group The Shangri-Las and their 1964 hit "Leader of the Pack," lip-syncing the vocals to her—was pretty darn charming. Blake was troubled by demons, an addict, and absolutely wrong for Amy, yet they were drawn to each other. Look, critics have been panning this film, complaining that it's pedestrian, toothless, and doesn't dig deep enough into the truth. OK, sure. The film all but ignores what led to her death, ending with a line of white text about alcohol poisoning on a black screen. But if you're an Amy Winehouse fan, ignore it all. Go for the music and Abela's explosive performance.

Anna It's all about Abela's portrayal here. She takes on a voice that's nothing short of intimidating to try and mimic, and she does so with depth and soul. You're right, there are a lot of demons that are overlooked in this storytelling. However, it succeeded in making its protagonist feel completely human. Amy seems to be someone who was always seeking love, sometimes in the most mad and desperate ways. It's worth a watch for the music alone. Δ

Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at [email protected].