In 2015, the formidable documentary “Amy” by Asif Kapadia – boycotted by the Winehouse family – showed the artist’s addictions which ended up getting the better of her, at 27 years old. Sam Taylor-Johnson’s film can be seen as a response to Kapadia’s. If alcohol, heroin and other substances cannot be erased, the pride of place is given to the father, Mitch Winehouse. Played by Eddie Marsan, he is presented as a saint who never stopped guiding his daughter and working hard to get her to free herself from her addictions. Far from the image of the father exploiting his daughter and encouraging her to embark on a tour that she did not want.
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A disturbing resemblance
Marisa Abela, beyond her uncanny resemblance to the singer, is a very convincing Amy Winehouse. And in the role of Amy’s bad boy and husband from 2007 to 2009, the very sexy Jack O’Connell. Their trips through the streets of Camden or into exotic palaces are quite colorful, but the whole thing is a little smooth, in line with the wise “Nowhere Boy”, Sam Taylor-Johnson’s previous biopic on John Lennon’s youth . Still, the film makes you want to listen to “Rehab”, “Back to Black” and other hits over and over again. To the delight of Amy’s father…
“Back to Black”, by Sam Taylor-Johnson, also with Juliet Cowan (2:02). In theaters April 24.
